


Saboteur

by ironstrangepls



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meetings, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Protective Tony Stark, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-06-07 01:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15207551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironstrangepls/pseuds/ironstrangepls
Summary: Concussions can be quite a pain, but luckily a Doctor appears to help out. An infuriating, egotistical, arrogant, doctor, that just manages to strike all the nerves with Tony Stark.***Tony turned to the strange man and snarled. “Yo, what gives? I was just about to blast it.”“Save it, tin can, you were just about to be squashed,” the man snarked. “Let me handle this.”“Uh, who do you think you are?”“Someone who’s gonna kill the monster. Now, step back.” The man replied dryly.





	1. Concussions and Things

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little side project I'm going to be working on along side of Blame! I'm excited :)

A September breeze brushed against Peter, blowing his hair away from his face. He was sitting on the steps in the front of his school, waiting for his Aunt May to pick him up. It was odd - she was never this late in picking Peter up, she had to at least been twenty minutes. He took out his phone - no messages, no calls from her, nothing. Peter pulled up her contact and dialed her number, hearing a couple of rings and then a familiar voicemail message. Peter huffed as he waited for the beep.

 

“Hey, Aunt May, I’m sure you know this, but uh, I have to be picked up from school. But you might be busy? Maybe I’ll just walk home? Okay, love you.” He sighed as he hung up the phone - a mild anxiety running through his veins.  _ She probably took a nap on the couch _ , Peter thought.  _ Not a big deal, it’s not that far of a walk home. _

 

He stood up, feeling the weight of his backpack slumped over his shoulders - he had to bring home a couple of textbooks for homework. With another sigh, Peter started walking away from the school, passing other students staying after for after-school activities. 

 

He had only been walking for ten minutes when his hair on his arms stood up. Peter glanced to his left and his right and saw nothing - something else must be triggering his senses. He quickly went behind a tree and put on his suit and shot a web to another tree, pulling himself up so he could get a view of the city.

 

Several screams could be heard, coming from various people fleeing from somewhere. Peter gulped as he glanced upwards, seeing some form of alien creature. It was roughly the size of a rather large dinosaur, and it was turtle-like, having a large shell-type shield covering its back. It had four eyes, two on each side of the head, and had fangs like a dog. It had claws, long, endearing claws that bounced sunlight off of their shiny coat. Peter had never seen something so ghastly, something so foul, something so... _ grotesque _ , in his life. He knew what he had to do.

 

He spat a web from his shooters to another building closer to the creature, jumping off and swinging to the other side. He kept swinging back in forth before vaulting over the creature so he was behind it. 

 

Peter had to think - and fast. What could he do to slow it down? For a turtle creature - it was quite fast.

 

He could use his webbing as a rope and tie the creature’s feet so it would fall over -  _ that _ could work.

 

Peter decided that was the only option he had at that point, and went for it. Carefully, he located a point to shoot his web so he can easily swing and wrap around the creature’s legs. He took a deep breath and swung, letting his feet run along the walls of the building as he swung around the creature’s legs. The creature let out a deafening roar as it struggled beneath the webbing, but it’s strength outweighed the webbing, and it broke out within seconds. Peter fell to the ground after he lost his rebound. “Fuck,” he cursed, covering his mouth afterwards, then realizing that no adult was around and he didn’t have to abide by their rules. He stood up, staring up at the creature who had now turned around to face him, teeth baring and dripping some form of saliva -  _ gross _ .

 

The creature roared and tried to grab Peter, who swiftly doged the hand by jumping onto a building - but the creature, despite it’s slow looks, quickly showed off its reflexes by using the other hand and encapturing Peter within it.

 

“Wow, you’re pretty fast for a turtle.” Peter exclaimed, trying to squirm his way out of the alien hand. “I wonder if you beat the hare.”

 

The alien snarled as it lifted it’s arm and threw Peter into the ground. Peter cursed at the pain, his head spinning. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a green foot come straight for him, and he felt his heart rate start to climb. He quickly turned on his side and avoided the foot - just barely. The creature raised his foot again and slammed it down, once again barely missing Peter as he swiftly doged each stomp by rolling over. The game went on for about five minutes, until Peter huffed and shot a web to the creature’s mouth and pulled himself up.

 

“Wow, you’re even uglier up close,” Peter snarked, and he hopped on top of the creature’s snout, staring into its four eyes. “And I can smell your breath from up here. Do you even use toothpaste? I recommend Colgate.”

 

The creature cried out as it tried to reach its arms over its head, but rendered it to be useless as its arms were too small. Peter laughed, pointing at the arms.

 

“Ha, can’t reach me! Tiny arms!” 

 

The creature snarled before it started to tuck its neck back into its shell. Peter’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The creature got on all fours and Peter dug his hands into the alien’s snout, holding on as he dangled from the air. He tried to act quickly, but the alien was quicker, and grabbed Peter and slammed him into the ground. 

 

Peter could feel the whole world spinning, he was lost. Panic arose in his veins and he could feel the shadow of a familiar foot…

 

“Oh no you don’t, Leonardo. Don’t step on him.” A familiar voice rang out. Out of the corner of his eye Peter saw a man enclosed in a suit of armor holding up the foot of the creature. He turned to Peter. “Kid, you alright? Can you move?”

 

“Not really, I feel...incredibly dizzy.”

 

“Alright, stay there, let me handle this guy, try not to die on me, alright kiddo?” 

 

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” Peter struggled to make out the words - his head was reeling, but he managed to turn over and watch.

 

Iron Man flew up to the creature’s face, staring it down. He held out his hand and a light flared out as he blasted a beam straight into the snout of the creature. It cried out in pain as it stumbled backwards, before shaking its head and baring its fangs, eagerly waiting for more. It lunged at Tony, who was unable to dodge it in time, and knocked him into the ground.

 

“Mr. Stark!” Peter faintly cried out.

 

“I’m fine, kid. I can handle a few bangs.” The man in armor replied, and immediately was back in the air, forming another blast and throwing it into the alien’s chest. It lunged again, with Tony quickly dodging it this time. 

 

The creature let out another deafening roar and lunged a third time, using it’s head to knock Tony to the ground. He cried out in pain. “Shit,” he whispered to himself. “This thing really knows how to fuckin’ party.”

 

Before Tony could get up, he felt a looming shadow overtop of him. A foot that was eagerly waiting to stomp him to pieces. Tony held out his hand, prepping to send another blast straight towards the center of the foot, but before he could, an orange portal opened up under him and he fell through, falling right next to a man wearing a long, red cloak, who he assumed was the one who made the portal. The creature stomped it’s foot and was confused when it saw Tony not underneath it.

 

Tony turned to the strange man and snarled. “Yo, what gives? I was just about to blast it.”

 

“Save it, tin can, you were just about to be squashed,” the man snarked. “Let me handle this.”

 

“Uh, who do you think you are?”

 

“Someone who’s gonna kill the monster. Now, step back.” The man replied dryly. He beckoned for the monster to lunge at him. The creature snarled and got on all fours, tucking its head into its shell and preparing to lunge. “Come on, you know you want to get me.”

 

The creature roared and lunged. The man swiftly created an orange portal right in front of him and it stuck it’s head through. Then with a flick of his wrist, the man closed the portal, decapitating the creature and causing a small stream of alien blood to spill onto the street. Tony grimaced at the sight as the man walked forward, creating another portal underneath the creature and moving it to who knows where.

 

“That was… disgusting.” Tony commented, walking up to the man. He grabbed the man and turned him around. “Okay, now tell me who you are.”

 

“Name is Doctor Stephen Strange.” The man replied, and glanced over to where Peter was lying down. He walked over and knelt over him. 

 

Tony noticed and quickly followed. “Woah woah woah, don’t touch him, I’ll kill you, I swear to g-”

 

“Relax,” Doctor Strange held up a gloved hand. He started talking directly to Peter. “Can you move?”

 

“Yeah, but my head hurts, I feel so dizzy.” Peter faintly told him. Doctor Strange sat Peter up, and noticed a gash of blood seeping through his mask. He swiftly took off the mask, and Peter’s eyes widened, and Tony stepped forward.

 

“Hey,” Peter protested. “What gives? That’s my mask!”

 

“Shush,” Doctor Strange ordered, staring into Peter’s eyes. Tony’s eyebrows furrowed.

 

“You don’t just take off his mask like that, someone could see-”

 

“Concussion. Mild,” The man stated and stood up, tossing the mask back to Peter. He turned to Tony. “I should take him back to my place so he’s treated properly, unless you want to pay for the hospital.”

 

“I don’t trust you.” Tony simply stated, and the man showed no change in emotion.

 

“I don’t care whether or not you trust me, I’m simply telling you the boy has a concussion and needs to be treated. I can treat him at my place, or I can leave you be to find some place else to treat him.”  The doctor turned to the boy. “What would you like?”

 

“I guess,” Peter held his head with his hands. “I guess I could use...a nap, and some Advil.”

 

Stephen nodded and opened a portal. “Wrap around him and carry him, please,” he told his cloak, that hovered off of his shoulders and surrounded the kid. Tony’s eyes widened as he held out his hand to prep a blast. “Hold it.”

 

Stephen turned to look at the iron man’s stance and showed no fear or reaction. “Stark, I suggest you let me help the boy.”

 

“What...is that?” Tony asked, motioning towards the cloak.

 

“Cloak of Levitation. Ancient artifact. It’ll keep the boy safe.”

 

“I’m coming with you, I don’t trust you to be alone with him.” Tony pressed his arc reactor and his suit disappeared, revealing Tony Stark in his true form. The man shrugged and beckoned to the portal. 

 

“Fine, be my guest. Don’t touch anything, and don’t be a nuisance.” Stephen stated, and Tony stared at the portal in awe. It showed a library of some sorts.

 

“Are you like, a wizard? What the fu-”

 

“Just go.” Stephen pushed Tony into the portal and followed in after, and the cloak that was holding Peter flew it above them. Stephen closed the portal behind them with a quick swish of his hand. “Take him to the bedroom.” He told the cloak, who obliged and started to fly up.

 

“Okay, you didn’t have to push me through it.” Tony glared, and Stephen started to follow the cloak up the stairs. 

 

“No, I didn’t, but it felt good to,” The doctor smirked. “Come upstairs, you can keep an eye on me and the boy if you don’t trust me.”

 

“I get bad vibes from you, wizard doctor.” Tony muttered, and Stephen let out a snort. The shorter man followed the taller up the stairs and into the bedroom, where Peter was already tucked in and asleep. Stephen had taken off his gloves and Tony noticed that his hands were scarred shaky, and he had to fight the urge to ask what had happened. 

 

“I’m going to give him some pain-killers and let him rest. You need to make sure he doesn’t do any taxing activities for a bit.”

 

“Yeah, that’s gonna be hard to do, kid’s a fucking yippy dog - he’s always doing something.” Tony murmured, and Stephen let out a small chuckle.

 

“I bet, but in order for him to heal, he’s got to rest.” 

 

“And it’s gotta be here?” Tony asked, crossing his arms. Stephen shook his head.

 

“No, but I figured it’s best for a doctor to be around.” He replied, glancing over at the sound asleep figure in the bed. “Concussions can be quite painful, and there might be moments of panic for him.”

 

“Yeah, and he’s not gonna know where he is.”

 

“Better than not knowing  _ who _ he is,” the doctor retorted. “Look, you can stay if you want to, but if you’re just going to be a pain in my ass, I’m gonna ask you to leave.”

 

“Uh, no, I ain’t leaving Peter here alone with a sketchy ass wizard.”

 

“Then don’t be a pain.” Stephen simply stated as he walked towards the bed with aspirin and a glass of water in his hand - he must have conjured it.

 

“Physically impossible, you have to deal with me.”

 

“I don’t  _ have _ to deal with anything. I can easily portal you out of here.” He muttered, gently waking Peter up. The boy spurred, and opened his eyes, and the doctor gave him a glass of water and aspirin, which he immediately took before passing out again. The glass and aspirin disappeared with a wave of his hand and he turned back around to face Tony.

 

“What are you, even?”

 

“Master of the Mystic Arts,” he informed, and Tony looked less than impressed.

 

“So like, a wizard.”

 

“No.”

 

“Sounds like a wizard.” Tony pressed on, noticing a hint of annoyance in Strange’s voice.

 

“Not a wizard.”

 

“You’re a wizard, Harry.” Tony teased again, and Stephen flung his wrist and an invisible force pushed Tony against the wall.

 

“I’m going to tell you one more time,” Stephen snarled with gritted teeth. “Stop being a pain in my ass.”

 

“Look, doc,” Tony struggled against the force. “I’m only here because you took my stuff.”

 

“ _ Your  _ stuff?”

 

“The boy. He’s mine. You took him, I’m here to retrieve him.”

 

“And I’m here to help him,” Stephen retorted, still holding his hand up. “You just won’t trust me.”

 

“I wonder why, it’s almost like you have me shoved up against a wall, and not in the way I usually like.”

 

Stephen ignored the last part. “I can return him tomorrow. I’ll even give you this damn address so you can come see him before he wakes up or whatever. Just leave, alright, I got one headache to deal with here, I don’t need another.”

 

“If I don’t see him tomorrow, I’ll fucking find you and tear you to shreds.” Tony threatened, and he was released from the wall.

 

“Sounds fair. Goodbye.” Stephen smirked and an orange portal to the street appeared behind Tony. Stephen walked up and shoved him in, threw a card with the address written on it, and closed it before Tony could even utter a protest. Tony scowled as he read the card, and he stood up looking at the building - he was out in the middle of sidewalk, probably a block or two away from Stark Towers. 

 

“I should probably call May and tell her Peter won’t be coming home.”

 

He took out his phone and dialed her number, expecting to hear her voice. He was surprised when the phone kept ringing and eventually hit voicemail.

 

“Hmph,” Tony started walking towards his building. “Guess I gotta leave a message.”

 

The phone beeped. “Hey May, it’s Tony. Just letting you know Peter is going to be staying at my place tonight, we have some work we gotta do and I’ll return him sometime tomorrow. Thanks, goodbye.” He hung up.

 

“Odd, she usually always answers her phone.” Tony noted, before shrugging and placing his phone back in his pocket as he walked back to his building.

 


	2. Notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support so far!

Peter spurred in the bed, groaning as he blinked himself awake. His head was pounding as his eyes came into focus. He sat up, studying the room around him - it was unfamiliar. His heart started beating fast - where was he?

 

He groaned as he held his head in his hands, trying desperately to remember the previous night. He remembered a creature, giant, and disgusting - he remember getting slammed and - oh! Someone had taken off his mask - some guy in a sort of reddish cape… who said he was a doctor...

 

That’s where Peter must be, at the doctor’s home. He slowly got up the bed, wincing in pain as he head reminded him that he had a massive headache. He made his way down the steps and saw the caped-doctor man, sitting in a chair, reading a book. He turned to Peter.

 

“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

 

“Eh?” Peter shrugged. “My head kills, also, who are you and what am I doing here?”

 

“My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. You got a concussion yesterday while fighting an alien creature. I took you back here to the Sanctum to treat you.”

 

“Okay,” Peter responded, looking around again. “Where’s Mr. Stark?”

 

“Not here. Thank god.” He muttered, and Peter raised an eyebrow.

 

“What did you do?”

 

“Me? Nothing.” Stephen replied, closing his book and getting up from his chair. “I had to convince him to leave. Or rather, force him too. Was being a pest.”

 

“He was probably just worried for me.” The kid shrugged, and groaned out of pain. “Hey, Mr. Doctor, do you have any Advil or something?”

 

“Yeah, I do.” He conjured the pills and a glass of water and handed it to Peter, who’s eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and shock. “Don’t worry, completely safe.”

 

“What the heck are you? Some sort of wizard?”

 

Stephen sighed in frustration. “I like to refer to myself as a Master of the Mystic Arts.”

 

“That’s a mouthful.” Peter took the pills and drank the water.

 

“So just refer to me as Doctor Strange, and you won’t have a difficult time.” Stephen retorted, leaning against the chair. “The painkillers should obviously help with the pain, but concussions take time to heal. That means no staring at electronics for a long time, and certainly no taxing activities.”

 

“Aw shucks, that stinks.” Peter mumbled, slumping into the nearest chair. “You mean I can’t be Spiderman?”

 

“Not until you’re healed, no. Don’t do anything rash, Doctor’s orders.”

 

“So,” Peter managed to grin. “Does this mean I can have a doctor’s note to get out of school?”

 

Stephen smirked and nodded. “I think I can arrange that. But you’re lucky it’s a weekend and you don’t need one right now.”

 

“But I can have one for when I  _ do _ go back, right?”

 

“Yeah, sure, kid.” The doctor replied.

 

A pounding sound came from outside, sounding like someone was banging on the door. Peter held his head and groaned, the loud noises being overly-sensitive from the concussion. Stephen cursed under his breath and stood up, opening the doors to reveal a pissed-off Tony Stark. He was wearing an old jumpsuit and he appeared as though he had woken up only a few minutes prior.

 

“Alright, Wiz-Kid. Where is he at?” Tony snarled, inviting himself into the sanctum and pushing Stephen out of the way. Stephen closed the doors behind him.

 

“Come in,” Stephen muttered sarcastically. “He’s in the chair.”

 

“Kid!” Tony exclaimed as he walked over. “Are you alright?”

 

“Just fine, Mr. Stark. My head hurts though.” Peter responded, his hands pressed up against his temples.

 

“Did he do anything to you? Anything bad? Do I have to kick wizard ass?” Tony fretted, and Stephen rolled his eyes and walked away from the door. Peter quickly shook his head.

 

“No, Mr. Stark, Doctor Strange was fine and nice. He’s even going to give me a doctor’s note for school. He’s chill.”

 

“He brainwashed you.”

 

“Stop being ridiculous, Stark,” The doctor sneered. “I would never brainwash anyone, let alone a child.”

 

“Mr. Stark, really, I’m alright!” Peter exclaimed, and Tony moved his eyes back and forth between the child and doctor.

 

“Well, if you’re really alright, then I’m going to take you home, May’s expecting you.” Tony mumbled, and Peter’s eyes widened.

 

“Oh my god, Aunt May! I forgot! She’s probably worried sick!” Peter cried out. Tony held his hand up.

 

“I called her and left her a message and told her you were staying at my place. Everything is alright.” Tony replied calmly.

 

“Oh thank goodness,” Peter exhaled a sigh of relief. “Oh, shoot, I just remembered, I left my backpack by a tree when I changed into my suit, and it had all of my textbooks in it, and it’s probably stolen.”

 

“That’s like, the tenth backpack.” Tony muttered, letting out a smirk. “I’ll buy you another one and the textbooks as well, let’s just get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

 

“That’s because the moment you walked in, everything in the room became a little more dead inside.” Stephen retorted, and Tony shot him a glare.

 

“What’s your damn problem? Do you have to be this infuriating every time you open your trap?”

 

“I’m glad to know I have the power to piss you off.” The doctor smirked and Tony stood up and clenched his fists as he walked forward.

 

“You’re all talk, all that mouth does is keep yapping. Blah blah blah, it just goes in one ear and out the other.”

 

“This mouth does plenty more than that,” Stephen quipped, letting out a sly smile. “But you’ll never get to know that.”

 

Peter raised an eyebrow, confused, the joke completely going over his head, and Tony’s expression changed to one of shock. Did he just... _ make a sex joke?  _ In front of the kid? He glanced at Peter who still had a puzzled look plastered on his face. It went over his head - good. Tony shook his own shocked expression off of his face, replacing it with one of annoyance. “Whatever, Voldemort, the kid and I are leaving.”

 

“You’re welcome for treating him, by the way.”

 

“Oh yes, thank you Doctor Strange.” Peter grinned as he got up from the chair. Tony huffed and rolled his eyes.

 

“I don’t need to thank you, all you did was give him painkillers, something I could have done.”

 

“Hmph, have it your way, then.” Stephen snorted and opened the doors to the sanctum, leading out to the street. “Kid?”

 

Peter turned around and tilted his head. “Yeah?”

 

“You let me know if you need anything, or if your pal here is ever too frustrating to be around.” Stephen smirked at his comment, and Tony scowled. “But in all seriousness, come back if you’re ever in need of help. Here is the address to the sanctum.” He handed him a card and Peter accepted it. “I’m always around if you’re in danger as well.”

 

“That’s nice of you,” Tony growled. “But I doubt he’ll be needing you, not when he has me.”

 

“Well, the offer is out there, and it’s ultimately up to the kid. Not you, Stark.”

 

“Uh, thanks Doctor.” Peter smiled, ignoring the banter between the two adults. He turned to Tony.  “Can you bring me back to my place?”

 

“Yeah, sure kid. I got you.” Tony replied, walking back towards the limo behind him. 

 

“Feel better, kid.” Stephen called out, and Peter grinned.

 

“Thanks! I will!”

 

Tony grabbed Peter and pulled him into the limo, asking Happy to drive them to Peter’s apartment. Happy obliged and began to drive, leaving Peter and Tony to talk about the concussion.

 

“So, I’m not allowed to be Spiderman for awhile,” Peter told Tony. sighing and rubbing his eyes. “That really sucks.”

 

“Yeah, it does. You should have called me immediately when you saw the alien, I would have came to help you right away.” Tony commented, and Peter glanced away shyly.

 

“I thought I could handle it myself.”

 

“You always think that, and you almost got killed for it.” Tony exhaled, sighing. “Again.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I’ll do better, I promise.”

 

“I don’t want promises, I want action.” Tony turned to Peter, seriousness radiating off of his tone. “Peter, you know I’ll drop everything and help you when there’s something that dangerous. I really need you to be careful. I can’t-” he paused. “I can’t have you dying on me.”

 

Peter glanced downwards, looking at his fingernails. “I know. I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m just relieved you’re alright and it’s only a mild concussion.”

 

“Yeah, I’m glad too. Just stinks that I’m going to be absolutely bored.” Peter muttered, leaning his head back. He winced at the sudden pain he felt and let out a groan. “Ugh.”

 

“No, you’re just going to be a normal teenager until you’re healed.”

 

“Yeah, that’s  _ boring _ .” Peter retorted, crossing his arms.

 

“Get over it.”

 

The car stopped in front of his apartment, and Peter got out of the limo. “Thanks for the ride, Happy and Mr. Stark.”

 

“No problem, Peter. Feel better. You know how to reach me incase you need anything,” he grinned. “I would  _ prefer _ if you don’t contact the wizard though.”

 

“I’ll probably need doctor’s advice, though,” Peter replied, shrugging. “But alright, Mr. Stark.”

 

“I’m sorry kid, it’s just something about him that ticks me off - he gives me bad vibes.”

 

“I don’t get bad vibes, and I’m the one with the overblown senses here.” Peter pointed out, and Tony rolled his eyes and chuckles.

 

“You’ve got a point, there. But still,” he shot back. “Contact  _ me _ if you need anything, alright kid? He’s still just a stranger, and didn’t you learn not to talk to strangers?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” Peter smirked at the comment.

 

“Good, glad we’re on the same page.” He smiled and told Happy to drive. “See you, kid.” He rolled up the window and drove off, leaving Peter on the side of the street. Peter waved slightly and turned around to enter his apartment. The rooms seemed empty.

 

“Aunt May? Are you here?” Peter called out, but he was met with silence. “I’m sorry I got back so late.”

 

More silence.

 

“Aunt May?” Peter called out again, looking from room to room. He went into the kitchen - which was a total mess. It was covered in pots and pans and broken glass, almost as if a tornado entered his kitchen alone.

 

“Holy crap,” Peter muttered, his eyes widening at the mess. “What happened here?”

 

His eyes trailed towards the counter, spotting a note that was laying on top of it. It was folded neatly. Raising an eyebrow, Peter grabbed it and began reading it - it was long and written in red ink. Peter felt his heart stop and a widespread panic engulfed him.

 

He dropped the note on the floor and immediately picked up his house phone, dialing a number he was all too familiar with.

 

“Hello?” Tony’s voice answered.

 

“Mr. Stark,” Peter replied, his voice shaky. “I need you to come here. Something has happened to Aunt May.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to subscribe to the work to get updates ;D ;)))))


	3. Yental

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter!

Peter stood in the center of the mess of the kitchen, his hands shaking wildly as the he reread the note for a fifth time.

 

_ Spiderman, _

 

_ If you want to see your Aunt alive, come to the address listed below. Do not wear your spiderman suit, but bring it. And be alone. If you come in that suit and bring someone with you, she will be killed as will you.  _

 

_ 324 Splashing Street _

 

_ Xoxo _

 

_ Yental. _

 

Peter’s heart was racing - but he couldn’t help but let out a nervous chuckle at the name signed on the letter.  _ Yental. _ What kind of a name is Yental?

 

There was a knock on the door. “KId? Open up, it’s me.”

 

Peter ran to the door, tears streaming down his face as he opened it and threw his arms around Tony. Tony awkwardly patted the kid’s back as he consoled him. “Hey, hey, it’s alright, Peter...tell me what happened.”

 

Peter pulled away and sniffled, handing the note to Tony. He read it carefully, before glancing up to look at Peter’s blotchy face. “What kind of a name is…  _ Yental?” _

 

Peter shrugged. “That’s what I wondered.”

 

Tony shook his head.  “Definitely ransom. Don’t quite know why they want your damn suit. Seems like kind of an odd request.”

 

“What...w-what should I do, Mr. Stark?” Peter sobbed, rubbing his eyes. “I can’t...I can’t just  _ leave  _ her there. I have to go get her. You can always make me another suit, right? Right?”

 

“Of course kid, of course I can make you another suit.” Tony studied the notes, squinting his eyes as he scrutinized it. “I just don’t think that’s the point. They want your suit for some reason.” Tony sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “I can’t let you go alone, especially in your condition. You’re in no state to fight, and if you were to fight them, a certain doctor might find out and be up my ass about it, and that is the last thing I want.”

 

Peter raised an eyebrow. “So are you going to come with me? I don’t...I don’t know...I don’t want to risk pissing them off. I don’t think they are looking for a fight. That’s why they want the suit?”

 

Tony shrugged and walked further into the apartment. “Don’t know. I know that they are threatening you, and because I have no idea who the hell we are dealing with here, I wouldn’t exactly try and wear the suit and fight. While they could be some punk ass kinda thugs, they could also be well-trained criminal mastermind dudes, who could very easily kill May.”

 

Peter tensed up and let out a small sob. “I can’t...I can’t have that happen.”

 

“We won’t let that happen. It’s why I’m going to suggest giving what they want.” Tony walked into the kitchen area, and noticed the mess scattered on the floor. “Looks like she gave a fight. Good job, May. She probably couldn’t have fended them all off, though.” Tony sighed and looked back at Peter and noticed the solemn look on his face. He walked over and bent down to his level, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Look, Peter, we’ll get her back. Alive. I promise.”

 

“But how?” Peter wondered, looking down at the floor. “I can’t do much...I have the concussion. What if they lied? What if they try and attack me and I’m utterly defenseless?”

 

“I’m going to be with you. Or, kind of with you. I’m going to give you a bracelet, alright? In my car. It’s got a microphone in it. I’ll be outside the area, listening in, making sure you’re safe and that you do get Aunt May back. That way, I can fight, and you can hold back, because you aren’t allowed to.”

 

Peter nodded slowly, seemingly unconvinced of the plan.

 

“Peter, this is the only option at the moment.” Peter glanced up - his eyes filled with tears. The iron man continued, taking a deep breath. “You’re a brave kid - you fight friggin’ aliens for Christ’s sake. You can save your Aunt May too. And, I will be with you in case shit gets real.”

 

The boy took a deep breath and nodded again. Tony beckoned him to follow him to his car. “Grab your suit, let’s go. We need to go get her before they get the wrong idea.”

 

Peter followed him into the black limo, where Tony pulled out a black bracelet and placed it on Peter’s wrist. “You click this center button here, and it starts recording your surroundings. It connects to my ear piece and I’ll be able to hear it.” He turned to Happy and told him the address of where “Yental” is. He turned back to Peter. “Just relax, everything will be okay. We will get her back.” 

 

Peter took a couple of deep breaths before groaning in pain and holding his head. “My head…”

 

“Shit, concussion, right. You’re gonna get those headaches, and this added stress does not help in the slightest, probably.” Tony glanced around frantically, before turning to Happy. “Hap, do you have any aspirin of any kind?”

 

“Yeah.” He took one hand off the wheel, keeping the other one on. Happy dug into jacket pocket and pulled out a mini Advil container. “I tend to have a lot of headaches as well. There should be a water bottle in the backseat cupholder.” He handed it to Tony.

 

“Thanks, Hap.” Tony poured two pills into his hand and handed them to Peter along with the water bottle. “Here, take this.”

 

Peter took the pills and groaned. “Mr. Stark...I don’t know about this.”

 

“You’ll be fine. Remember, I’ll be right out here. You gotta be brave, kid, you gotta be brave for May.”

 

Peter nodded and exhaled through his nose, leaning back in his seat as he stared out the window.

 

“We’re here, Tony.” Happy muttered as he parked the limo. Tony and Peter looked to their left and saw an old stone building that looked abandoned, kind of like a warehouse. A typical place for a ransom - very cliche. 

 

Tony turned to Peter. “You ready?”

 

Peter shrugged. “I guess I got to be.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I know I’m a little nervous but I’m just not feeling too great, and the fact that I can’t fight on my own is a little nerve-wracking.” 

 

Tony put a supportive hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I know, Pete. I know. But again, I’m right here, listening it. You gotta make sure you turn that on so I can hear everything. Alright?”

 

Peter nodded and opened the door, taking a deep breath and stepping out, his suit wrapped around his arm. He closed the door behind him and walked across the street into the looming building above him. He opened the door carefully and winced as it creaked - it was dark. Peter felt a shortness of breath and his chest tighten - if he closed the door, he would not be able to see - and that terrified him. He decided he would leave it open and continued to walk forward.

 

“Close the door.” A voice called out to him. Peter let out a tiny squeal as he jumped at the sudden voice. His hand quickly went to his bracelet and turned it on.

 

“Close the door.” The voice reiterated, with more force. Peter gulped and obliged, and as soon as the door shut, the lights of the building came on. Peter winced as his eye’s adjusted at the light, and as his vision came into focus, he saw a bunch of people, all branding some sort of weapon. One man stood in the front, holding a long staff. He had a long, wonky nose and beady eyes. His hair was grey and he looked to be middle-aged, if he was from Earth, at least. Peter was not positive he was. Next to him was Aunt May, sitting in the chair with her hands and feet tied, as well as her face taped. Her face was blotchy as well as a bit bloody.

 

“Aunt May!” Peter cried out as he saw her. The leading man slammed his staff. “Silence!” He bellowed, and Peter groaned as he covered his ears, trying to block the echoing sound.

 

“My name is Yental.”

 

Peter stared at him in horror as the man continued.

 

“I see you have brought your suit. Please bring it to me, and no one gets hurt.”

 

Peter started to walk forward, holding his suit out. He handed it to the strange man, who took it gleefully.

 

“Yes. Thank you. It is mine.” Yental turned around and let out an evil laugh, one of those laughs you’d hear in a scary movie of some sorts. The army (or that’s what Peter assumed it was) clapped in sync. He turned back around. “I had seen your suit once while you were fighting one of my men before, when he had come down to explore this planet.”

 

So Peter was right - he was an alien. Yental continued.

 

“It had various gadgets that seemed all too useful I wanted it immediately.”

 

Peter gulped and sweat beaded down his forehead. 

 

“I needed to see what technology you had used. Perhaps I can use it to create my own device. But I needed to get this suit, and I needed to get it without a fight.” He smiled, sending a creepy vibe down Peter’s spine. “So, we studied you for a bit, discovered more. You seemed to have a big attachment to this, what you call ‘Aunt May,’ so we had to devise a plan to take her. We could not have you around to fight us as we did so, so we released one of our creatures into the city for you to be distracted by, and it worked out extremely well.”

 

Peter stared at his Aunt, who seemed tired and worn out. 

 

Yental grinned. “Now that I have the suit, I can utilize it to the best of my abilities. Perhaps I can use it to create a more powerful weapon, using this technology, and possibly wipe out the good of humanity itself.”

 

“I don’t think my suit is that powerful.” Peter butted in, then his eyes widened - he shouldn’t be snarky to an alien that could potentially kill him and Aunt May.

 

“Oh, it is. You see, your suit was put under our radar. You have a little tiny element known as Vibranium. There’s a small amount, but it is highly significant. That is what I want. And that is what I will use.”

 

“Vibranium? No way, does that even exist?” Peter asked, once again forgetting who he was talking to.

 

“Yes. And it is an extremely versatile element. Perfect for us.”

 

“Okay, um. Can I have Aunt May back? I gave you the suit.” Peter asked, pointing towards the suit. “And I’m not wearing it either.”

 

“Hmm, yes. I suppose you can have this ‘Aunt May’ back.” Yental cut the ropes tied to her and she ran to Peter, hugging him as she sobbed. 

 

“Aunt May, are you alright?” Peter asked, hugging her tightly.

 

“Yes, honey, I’m fine, oh goodness, I’m so glad you came.” She sobbed into his shoulder. “Please, let’s leave, let’s get out of here. I want to go home. Stark’s probably worried about you.”

 

“Mmkay. We’re leaving.” Peter reassured, and she pulled away. 

 

“Hold it.” Yental bellowed, slamming his staff down. “Did you just say, Stark?”

 

Aunt May nodded, and Peter glanced at her in panic.

 

“As in Tony Stark? The Iron Man?”

 

Peter quickly started pulling on Aunt May’s arm. “No, she never said anything, who is that?”

 

Yental raised his staff and waved it, signalling part of his army to teleport in front of the door, brandishing their weapons.

 

“You are alias with the Iron Man? Did you bring him here?”

 

Peter quickly shook his head. “Nope. What’s an Iron Man? A man can’t be made of iron! That’s...that’s ridiculous-” He chuckled nervously.

 

Yental raised what Peter assumed to be an eyebrow. “You are lying, Spiderman. I can sense it.”

 

“No! I-”

 

“I told you to come alone.” Yental narrowed his beady eyes and stared directly at his army. “Kill them.”

 

A blast echoed through the building, creating a blinding light and sending a bunch of the alien men flying. The Iron Man stood in the newly formed opening. “Killing a bunch of aliens was so  _ not  _ on my list of things to do today, but whatever.”

 

The alien gritted his teeth as he raised his staff and pointed it at Tony. “Get him!” He shouted, and the rest of his army flocked towards Tony.

 

“Peter, grab Aunt May and go wait in the car. I’ll be fine.” Peter nodded and took Aunt May’s arm and bolted to the limo. 

 

Tony flew up into the air, avoiding blasts and sending his own. “You must be Yental, I assume.” He commented to the alien with the staff. 

 

“That is who I am.”

 

“Yeah, no offense, but that’s a weird ass name.” The Iron Man snarked, pressing his arc reactor and sending a bunch of missiles flying towards the army. A sly smile spread on Yental’s face.

 

“Change of plans.” He muttered. He slammed his staff down. “Do not kill, CAPTURE!”

 

The army let out a roar cry. Using a weapon, they all pointed it at Tony, who was still flying in the air. He moved his hand to his chest, ready to send more missiles.

 

“Now!” Yental cried out. And the alien men all shot their weapon. A bunch of orange ropes shot at Tony and wrapped around him preventing him from moving. The ropes burned and he let out a small cry as he fell to the ground. Peter’s eyes widened as he cried out “Mr. Stark!” He glanced at Aunt May in a panic. He patted his pockets for his phone, and realized he had left it in the apartment. However, he felt a slip of paper in his back pocket. He pulled it out and read it. “Of course!” Peter exclaimed, and turned to Happy. “177A Bleecker Street! Hurry!”

 

Happy nodded and sped off - and luckily the Sanctum was not far - it only took about five minutes for the limo to arrive. Peter turned to Aunt May and told her to stay in the limo as he bolted out and to the door. He started knocking frantically.

 

“Doctor Strange! Doctor Strange! Open up! It’s Peter! Please!” Peter yelled through the door. The door opened and the doctor held his hands up, trying to calm the kid down.

 

“Kid, are you alright? What’s-” He noticed the limo behind him. “Is Stark here?”

 

“No! That’s the problem! He’s fighting some sort of army of aliens, and he was just captured! They had a bunch of orange ropes and I don’t know what they’re doing but you have to help him! Please!” Peter pleaded, his eyes filled with panic. 

 

Stephen took a deep breath - as much as he found the other man to be a pest - the kid was desperate for help, and he was not going to refuse that.

 

“Alright,” he said, signalling for the Cloak of Levitation to come, and once it nested properly on his shoulders, he closed the door to the Sanctum. “Take me to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!


	4. Alien Wherabouts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was so long to write lol

Peter glanced up at Stephen in wonder. “Can’t you do that portal thingy?” He asked, and Stephen nodded.

 

“Yes, where is it?”

 

“324 Splashing Street.” Peter responded, and Stephen used his sling ring to create an orange portal that showed the outside of the building. Stephen turned to Peter - his tone serious. 

 

“I need you to be in the car. I can’t risk you getting hurt. You guys can drive and wait by the building. I have to save his dumbass.” 

 

Peter scowled and pouted. “Aw, come on! I want to-”

 

“Not now, Peter, if you want to save Stark, get in the car. I’m leaving - meet me there.” The doctor leaped through the portal and closed it, leaving behind a pouting Peter.

 

Stephen studied the outside of the building as he jogged towards it - it seemed abandoned, like an old warehouse of sorts. He wondered what kind of alien creatures were about, and how the hell they got Tony - he usually was more skilled and agile and able to avoid these sort of sticky situations. Stephen quickly opened the door and saw...nothing. It was dark, no voices could be seen - he only saw a glimpse of a fading blue light in the back of the abandoned warehouse. Worrying, he quickly ran after it, stopping just in front of it. It was roughly the size of an average human - it looked to be some kind of portal.

 

_ Shit _ . Stephen thought.  _ They took Stark to what I’m assuming is their home. _

 

He sighed and glanced behind him, making sure no one was watching before he leaped into the portal - and the entire world began to spin. It was almost like an acid trip - a similar experience to his first meeting with the Ancient One. Lights flashed all over the place, coming and going so fast it was dizzying.

 

And then everything stopped.

 

Stephen looked around him, eyes widening at the sudden beauty of what seemed to be a spaceship. He was located in a tubular structure - and Stephen thought to himself that he must be where they come and go - using the tubes to transport to places. 

 

Stephen began to hear a  _ whirring _ noise, and then sounds that were similar to a human yell. His eyes widened in panic -  _ was someone, or something, coming? _ He had no disguise - no idea what these alien creatures even looked like. He took a battle stance, facing towards the tube that was moving.

 

“AHHHHH!” Peter screamed as he appeared in the tubular structure - and Stephen lowered his arms in exasperation.

 

“Peter!” He said in a loud whisper. “What in the name of- what are you doing here?”

 

“I-oy,” Peter stepped out of the tube, stumbling a bit as he held his head. Stephen grabbed him by the shoulders to stabilize him. “Woah...woah...so dizzy.”

 

“That was too much on your head, stupid.” Stephen hissed, conjuring a bottle of water. “Drink this, and tell me why you’re here.”

 

“I went in to see how you were doing, but you weren’t there! But then I saw this blue light and I was looking at it and I guess I got too close because I was rushed through some sort of portal and now...now I’m here?” Peter glanced around, raising an eyebrow. “Where...where is  _ here?” _

 

“ _ Here,” _ Stephen seethed. “Is an alien spaceship. You shouldn’t have gone in. I told you to wait in the damn car. You can’t do anything to worsen your concussion.”

 

“Concussion-smushion.” Peter chugged his water. “I want to help.” He looked at himself. “Shit,” he muttered. “I gave them my suit. Nevermind, I can’t actually help.”

 

Stephen shot him a look and sighed bitterly. “Great, now I have to babysit a kid while on an alien ship that I don’t even know.”

 

“You said I could come to you if I needed help!”

 

“Shh!” Stephen put a gloved hand over the boy’s mouth. “Don’t let them hear us. And yes, I know I said that, I was going to handle this  _ on my own _ .”

 

“I want to save Mr. Stark too!” Peter whispered, rather loudly. “I’m sorry. Doctor Strange, I am!”

 

“Apologizing will do nothing,” Stephen sighed. “And neither will arguing. We gotta get moving before we’re discovered.” He turned to the teenager. “Tell me everything you know about these...creatures.”

 

“They look like humans, but like, with wonky noses and beady eyes. The main guy, the leader, his name is Yental. He has like this magic staff and can teleport and stuff. I don’t know. I got really scared.” Peter rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flickering downwards - the boy was nervous - and Stephen could see that, Stephen took a deep breath and patted the kid on the back. 

 

“We’re gonna find Tony, I promise, kid.” He shook his head. “Even if you are stupid sometimes.”

 

A blood curdling scream interrupted the two of them, and they both jumped, startled. Peter grabbed Stephen’s arm, his eyes widening in fear. “That...that sounded like Mr. Stark!”

 

Stephen nodded, slowly, putting a gloved finger against his lips, signalling Peter to keep quiet. He gently opened the door of the room they were in and looked both ways - the coast was clear. Another yell echoed through the ship, and Stephen could hear it coming from the left side. He motioned Peter to follow him, and they crept through the hallway, wincing at every scream they heard. Stephen’s heart was pounding - Tony sounded like he was in a boatload of pain - each scream becoming more horrid and more gut wrenching - but the screaming was also a tool that he used to locate where Tony was.

 

“Doctor Strange?” Peter whispered - his voice a tad shaky from hearing Tony’s cries.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Do you...do you have a plan?”

 

“Yeah,” the doctor responded, peering over a corner. “I plan to kick ass.”

 

“Not what I meant, Doctor Strange.”

 

“I don’t, I’ve never been here, so it’s all very new to me. I just plan to combat them with magic. And you,” he shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you. I might just stick you in the mirror dimension so you’re safe.”

 

“The mirror dimension?” Peter questioned, slightly raising his voice. Stephen turned around and glared at him.

 

“Shush! I’ll tell you more about it later. Point is, you’d be safe in there and I don’t want to hear any ifs, ands, or buts.”

 

“But-”

 

“Quiet, kid.”

 

Peter closed his mouth, looking down. Another scream was heard and Peter jumped, letting out a small sob. They were louder - they were near.

 

“It’s amazing we haven’t run into any of these creatures.” Stephen muttered to himself. Peter, who overheard, nodded in agreement.

 

The two eventually approached a door that was shut - it was metallic and silver, looking almost like an elevator door. No windows, no doorknob, nothing. A shout could be heard from inside the room, as well as lots of cheering.

 

“Hmph. That’s why we didn’t run into any aliens. They’re all in there watching Stark.” Stephen commented, glancing at Peter, whose face was blotchy from crying. Stephen sighed - he wasn’t good with the whole dealing with other’s emotions, more specifically, teenagers. He looked back at the door - his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized it, trying to determine if there was some way to get in.

 

“Okay, kid, the moment I figure out how to open this door, they’re probably all going to attack us, so I’m going to put you in the mirror dimension now for your safety, and I don’t want any arguments.” Stephen warned, and Peter’s eyes widened.

 

“Wait - I’m still confused as to what that is.”

 

“You’ll see everything, but they won’t see you.” The doctor waved his hand around the two of them, forming a crystalline glass in front. He inched towards it and turned his head around. “You stay here, alright? Do not leave.”

 

Peter nodded and sat down against the wall, cursing his newly forming headache under his breath, Stephens shook his head, slightly amused, and stepped out of the mirror dimension and studied the door. There had to be a way to open it. 

 

Another scream pierced through his ears - and he winced. Tony sounded desperate - but what could he do? Stephen rapidly glanced around and noticed a red button on the other wall - it connected to a pipe which connected to a bell of sorts - it looked like a fire alarm. He glanced back at the door - he could press the alarm, hide in the mirror dimension while they all file out, and then run in and grab Tony - seemed like a good plan. Stephen took a deep breath and slammed a gloved hand onto the button, wincing as a ringing sound echoed through the hallways. Rapidly, he conjured the mirror dimension around him, and watched with glee the door opening and hundreds of the alien creatures running about. They all looked the same - like an army of sorts - probably all led by the one creature with the weird name.

 

Peter groaned in pain as he clutched the sides of his head, covering his ears. Stephen felt terrible - but the plan was working. He conjured ear plugs for Peter and gave them to him, who graciously accepted them. Stephen turned back to the door, studying the amount of aliens still pouring out and panicking from the alarm. 

 

When it seemed like he could slip through, Stephen did, stepping out of the mirror dimension and into the room - it was large and had a stage - almost as if it was an auditorium. On the stage, Tony was attached to a vertical board, his wrists and ankles tied up against it, wearing only his boxers, and he was battered and bruised. 

 

The alien next to Tony noticed the doctor’s presence. “Who are you?” He hissed, and Tony looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of Stephen.

 

“Name is Doctor Strange, unhand the man,  _ now. _ ” He demanded through gritted teeth. Yental stepped forward with his staff in hand. He pointed it at Stephen.

 

“How did you get here?”

 

“I said, unhand the man.” Stephen reiterated, taking a battle stance. “If you do not, there will be consequences.”

 

Yental growled and shot a blast from the tip of his staff, directly at Stephen, but Stephen was agile, using his own magic to block the blast and quickly sending a bunch of needles towards the alien creature, who hissed in pain. Yental slammed down his staff four times - and a bunch of the army returned, surrounding Stephen. He pointed the staff at Stephen again and the rest of the army bent down on their knees, brandishing a weapon of sorts.

 

_ The staff _ , Stephen thought.  _ The staff controls the army. If I can get that staff, it could be rendered useless.  _ Quickly thinking, he conjured a portal right right behind the leading alien and leaped through before they could shoot it and knocked down Yental, the staff flying out of the creature’s hand. Stephen gritted his teeth, creating another portal in the air to reach out and grab it - his accuracy was precise. With his strength, he broke the staff in half - and the glowing tip dimmed. The army of aliens all fell down, their colors draining. Yental got up and his eyes widened in panic as he looked around at the fallen aliens. 

 

Stephen gritted his teeth once more as he grabbed Yental by the neck and lifted him up - he was rather light. He tightened his grip. “Release him.”

 

“The...button,” Yental choked out. “The button on the right hand side should set him free.”

 

Stephen threw the alien away from him, who cried out in pain as he landed and coughed and spat. Stephen walked towards the bed and Tony stared at him - he had never seen the man so beaten. Tony murmured a small “thank you,” as Stephen pushed the button, moving quickly enough to catch Tony as he fell.

 

“Your suit. Where is it?” Stephen asked, and Tony shook his head.

 

“It’s fine. I have it - it’s nanotech. They were trying to get at it, but only I can enable it, so they-” Tony’s breath hitched. “They tortured me to try and get it out of me.”

 

“Come on, we gotta get out of here.” Stephen muttered, glancing around. He put Tony’s arm around his shoulders for support. “Come on.”

 

The two exited the room and Stephen waved his hand, causing the mirror dimension that kept Peter to fade. Peter ran up to Tony and hugged him, causing Tony to howl in pain.

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry Mr. Stark! I was just so worried and -”

 

“What is  _ he _ doing here?” Tony seethed at Stephen, who rolled his eyes. 

 

“I asked myself the same question. He showed up after I came here to save you. Really added to my anxiety.” Stephen retorted, glaring at the boy, who glanced downwards. “Come on, let’s go to that room where we can figure out how to leave this place.”

 

“Kid, we are going to have a long ass talk once we get outta here.” The iron man spatted towards the younger boy as he limped and leaned against the doctor. “You’re in big trouble.”

 

“Mr. Stark, come on, I was only trying to save you.”

 

“I don’t want to hear it.” Tony weakly held the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Stephen’s shoulder up. “Big trouble. You.” Peter closed his mouth and dropped his head down, following close behind.

 

The three entered the room with the tubular structures, and Stephen leaned Tony against a wall. He walked over to the various amount of buttons near the structures and played with them - trying to figure out how to get to Earth. Peter peered over his shoulder, focusing intently on the buttons. Stephen sighed an infuriating sigh as he became more irritated with his inability to figure out the controls. 

 

“Doctor Strange?”

 

“What!” He replied, frustrated. Tony glared at the taller man.

 

“Don’t yell at him like that, you daft jackass.” Tony spat, and Stephen rolled his eyes. 

 

“Badly beaten, and still a pain in the ass,” Stephen muttered to himself. He turned to Peter. “Yes, Peter?”

 

“Can’t you just make a portal back to Earth?”

 

Stephen stopped and his eyes widened. “Yeah. I can. Wow.”

 

Tony snickered in laughter, which caused a glare to be shot at him from the doctor. He turned back to Peter. “Smart boy. Stupid, but smart.”

 

“Uh, okay, thanks?” Peter cocked his head to the left and raised an eyebrow. Stephen smirked and turned around, using his sling ring to open up a portal into the Sanctum.

 

“Go in, Peter.”

 

Peter obliged, leaping into the portal. Stephen went up to Tony and wrapped his arm around his shoulder again as support and dragged him through the portal straight into a chair. Tony let out a groan in pain as he flopped into the chair. Stephen closed the portal behind them, and flopped into the chair opposite of Tony, letting out a breath of relief.

 

“Wait, what about Aunt May and Happy? They’re still waiting for us, and she’s probably worried!” Peter pressed, pulling out his phone and making a confused face. “Hold up, it...it’s the same time as when I left…”

 

“Time must have worked differently on the ship. Happens in most cases throughout the universe.” Stephen explained, getting up from the chair. “You should go see Aunt May, and tell her everything is alright. I’m gonna look after Sir Injured over here.”

 

“Fuck no - I’ll take care of myself.” Tony piped up and Stephen turned around, raising an eyebrow.

 

“You need a damn doctor, stupid. And you,” he turned around to Peter. “Need to go home, and lay down, and  _ sleep _ . No more of this activity crap, alright? I can’t have your concussion worsening.”

 

Peter glanced down and nodded - shooting a glimpse at Tony, who mouthed the words “You’re in big trouble.” Peter grimaced. 

 

“Okay, I would like to go to Aunt May now.” He said quietly to Stephen, who nodded. He used his sling ring once again to create a portal, this time into the warehouse where they were. 

 

“Tell them we’re all safe - that I’m with Stark - and that you have a concussion and can’t do anything.”

 

“Yes, Doctor Strange.” Peter replied dryly, and went through the portal, with Stephen closing it behind him.

 

“So, Doctor Wizard? Why the fuck was Peter in that spaceship, huh? Are you dense?” Tony growled, gripping the arms of his chair so hard his knuckles were turning white.

 

“I told you, he came in himself. Believe me, I yelled at him for it.” Stephen walked up to Tony and started checking out his injuries, much to Tony’s surprise.

 

“Woah, hey, watch it!” Tony batted Stephen’s hand away. “What are you doing?”

 

“Checking out your injuries, stupid. I’m a doctor, remember?” Stephen responded, clearly annoyed. “You got beaten pretty badly, but it’s nothing too serious. What did they use to torture you with?”

 

“Alien dude used his staff, or whatever,” Tony muttered. “Some orange light was coming out of it and it felt like my nerves were on fire, and it left some of these wounds and bruises.”

 

“What were you doing with these aliens in the first place?” Stephen wondered, bending down to look at the injuries closer. 

 

Tony shifted uncomfortably. “Peter’s aunt was taken hostage. They wanted Peter’s suit because of the vibranium I put it in, and I attacked them because Peter couldn’t. They saw how my suit worked and decided that it was infinitely better for them, so they took these orange ropes and captured me. They stung horribly.”

 

“Hmph,” Stephen got up and conjured some rubbing alcohol. “You’re lucky the kid sent for me.”

 

“Or terribly unlucky.” Tony snorted, raising his eyebrows at the alcohol. “What’s that for?”

 

“This might sting a little bit,” the doctor smiled as he poured some onto a gauze strip and rubbed it into Tony cuts - causing him to howl in pain.

 

“Jesus!” Tony gritted his teeth but did not fight - he ultimately new that the alcohol would help his wounds. Stephen conjured some bandages and threw them at Tony.

 

“Here, put these on, and then you can either stay here, or leave.” Stephen told the iron man. “I’d prefer it if you’d leave, but do what you want to do.”

 

“I’m leaving,” Tony stood up. “Don’t wanna spend another second with you.”

 

“Ditto.”

 

Tony snorted as he glanced down at himself - he was still wearing nothing but boxers. “Shit, can I borrow some clothes?”

 

With a snap of his finger, Tony was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, and he looked down at himself in awe. “Nice.”

 

“You’re welcome by the way,” Stephen smirked as he conjured a portal the outside of the Sanctum. “You know, for saving your life.”

 

“Hmph. Thank you.” Tony muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “Guess I owe you one.”

 

“Guess you do.”

 

“See ya, Doc. Or, nevermind, I don’t want to see you.” Tony smirked as he stepped into the portal. He caught a glimpse of a teasing smirk on Stephen’s face before it shut right in front of him, leaving Tony on the street staring up at the Sanctum.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooo leave dem kudos


	5. Speed It Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yall sorry i havent updated this in forever!! i'm assuming you all follow "Blame" so you already know why my updates have been so slow! I'll try and update this one more :)

The Sanctum was relatively quiet, the only noises that could be heard was the turning of pages in a book or the  _ clink _ sound of tea hitting a coaster. Stephen was seated in a chair, reading a book while Wong, Stephen’s sorcerer friend and guardian of the Sanctum, relaxed in another chair listening to music - it was peaceful. 

 

Stephen had always enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. He recalled how working in neurosurgery was always quite chaotic, and when he arrived home he would be grateful to have a glass of wine and lounge on the couch while watching a show. He doesn’t  _ mind _ fighting crime and protecting the planet from the alien creatures or whatever decides to want to exterminate Earth, he just prefers the peaceful, calm atmosphere the Sanctum has when it’s not being under attacked.

 

“Who was your friend that was here?” Wong suddenly spoke up, and Stephen turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

 

“Tony Stark,” Stephen scoffed as he glanced back down at his book. “And he’s not my friend.”

 

“Right, and the boy? Who was he?” 

 

“His name is Peter, he’s like, another superhero type thing. Calls himself...Spiderman? I think?” He shrugged. “I don’t know, all I really know is he’s like, a ward of some sorts for Stark.”

 

“So what happened exactly? I was away for two days and you tell me you went to some alien spaceship?” Wong crossed his arms, a teasing tone radiating from his words. Stephen sighed and placed his book down.

 

“Well first, some alien came and attacked the city, leaving the boy with a concussion. So I took care of him and whatnot, because I’m a doctor and I do that kind of thing. Then after I send him back, he comes  _ back _ to the Sanctum panicking about how Stark was captured by more alien creatures and that I had to help him, so I did. Turns out they took him back to their spaceship home and started torturing him, so, well, I brought him back.” Stephen explained, taking a sip of his tea. Wong raised an eyebrow and had an amused smirk on his face.

 

“You say this Stark man is not your friend, yet you risked your life to save him? Seems kind of fishy, if you ask me.” 

 

“Think of it as a favor to the boy.” Stephen rolled his eyes as he got up from the chair, stretching. “I don’t mind the kid one bit, he’s relatively adorable and he’s sweet. He cares about Stark so I saved his ass. And I also don’t recall asking you about your opinion.”

 

“You got it anyway.” Wong shrugged, watching Stephen carefully. “Do you think the two will be returning to the Sanctum?”

 

“Huh?” Stephen gave him a weird stare. 

 

“You did give them the address, did you not? Do you think they’ll show up again?”

 

“I’m assuming only when one of them desperately needs help - and that would be the kid, if anything. I think Stark would rather slit his own throat before asking anyone for help, let alone me.” Stephen turned back around to study the bookshelves. “That’s just his personality.”

 

“And how are his looks?” A smug tone was heard from Wong’s voice.

 

Stephen stopped in his tracks as he slowly turned around to give a cold glare towards the other man. “I’m sorry, his  _ looks? _ ”

 

“Yeah. Is he good looking?”

 

“What does that have to do with anything?”

 

“Just answer the question. Is he good looking? Do you personally find him, shall I say,  _ tasteful? _ ” Wong leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear.

 

“Fine, yeah, he’s attractive, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. I distinguish personality from looks.” Stephen shook his head rapidly. “And his personality makes me want to cut my own head off.” Stephen raised a singular eyebrow. “Why do you care?”

 

“I just think you’re lonely.” Wong smiled, putting his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his feet. “Maybe you could use a crime-fighting partner.”

 

“I thought you and I were crime-fighting partners.”

 

“You know what I mean, stupid.” Wong conjured a cup of tea and took a sip. “What’s his personality like?”

 

“Oh, you know, distasteful, rich, arrogant, thinks he’s hot shit, exasperating, you know, that sort of thing.” Stephen pulled a book off of the shelf and began reading the blurb on the back. 

 

“Ah, so,  _ your _ personality.”

 

Stephen’s head shot up as he glared. “What? No!”

 

Wong stared at him and took another sip of his tea.

 

Stephen shifted, making a face - he knew Wong was partially right. “Okay, maybe, but I swear I’m not as bad as he is.”

 

“That is, dare I say, utter bullshit.” Wong smugly walked back towards the chair and sat down. “I hope I get to meet this Tony Stark.”

 

“I hope you don’t because that would mean he would be here, and I don’t want that.”

 

“Or you do deep down and you don’t want to admit it.” A loud  _ slurp _ was heard as Wong sipped his tea.

 

“I don’t need anyone, Wong, I’m fine on my own. You don’t have to try and set me up with anyone, and if you are, at least pick someone else other than Stark - you can do better than that.  _ I  _  can do better than him.”

 

“Alright, alright.”

 

Silence fell back into the Sanctum as Stephen kept picking up books, reading the blurbs, and putting them back.

 

“Didn’t you say he was rich? Can you  _ really _ do better than a rich ass superhero?” Wong blurted out, and Stephen huffed in frustration.

 

“Can you shut the fuck up? I’m done talking about-”

 

A booming knock ricocheted off the walls, and Stephen signaled his cloak to come to him. As it rested on his shoulders, Stephen opened the door to reveal a smug Tony Stark in a t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sunglasses resting on top of his head.

 

“Stark, what are you doing here?”

 

“Ah, this is Stark!” Wong smiled wide and Stephen shot him a glare.

 

“Yes, hello, hi,” he waved at Wong before looking at Stephen. “You have a wizard friend?”

 

“What do you want, Stark?” Stephen gritted his teeth, crossing his arms.

 

“Oh, right, right, well, I was  _ wondering _ if there was anything you could do that might speed up Peter’s healing process for his concussion. You see, the kid’s been laying in bed all day, refusing to go to school, refusing to do anything because he’s just upset about not being able to save the world and whatnot.” Tony shrugged, sticking his hands into his jeans pockets. “I was going to call, but realized I didn’t have your number so, well, here I am.”

 

“No, there’s nothing I can really do to help speed up the process, sorry.” Stephen muttered, shaking his head. “He just needs to rest - I’m sorry he feels down, but there’s nothing I can really do.”

 

“Really? Not even some weird wizard magic thing to heal it?”

 

“No. That would require his own personal energy, and is against the laws of sorcery.” Wong spoke up. 

 

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Tony raised an eyebrow at Wong.

 

“Name is Wong, I also guard this Sanctum.”

 

“Okay, cool, well, listen Wong, I’m really just talking to Cheekbones over here, so maybe if you could just leave us that’d be fantastic.” Tony told him, and Stephen glanced an  _ I told you _ look towards Wong, who rolled his eyes and shrugged, before backing away.

 

“No need to be rude, Stark, he was right. I can’t help Peter. He just has to rest and let time heal.” Stephen informed Tony, who scoffed.

 

“Aw come on, your wizard friend doesn’t have to know!” Tony whispered, causing Stephen to roll his eyes. “Do it for Peter, come on.”

 

“No, Stark. I’m not disobeying any laws for a concussion. If he was  _ dying _ , that’s a different story. But a concussion? And a mild one? No way.”

 

Tony stood straight up and smirked, before speaking in a mockingly high pitched voice. “Doctor Strange! Please help me out! I wanna save the world again! I wanna be your friendly neighborhood Spiderman! My awesome friend Tony Stark won’t ever bother you again if you help me, but if you don’t, Tony is going to stick around and annoy the shit outta you!” He imitated Peter, and Wong let out a howl of laughter in the background. Stephen turned around and shot him a glare, and Wong closed his mouth and furrowed his eyebrows.

 

“What? I like him, he’s a funny man.” Wong stated, before picking up a book and reading it, sitting down in the chair. Stephen scoffed and turned back towards Tony.

 

“The answer is no, Stark, I can’t. I don’t know how else to get it through your thick head. I can't speed up the process. He just needs to rest. Alright? Let him rest. He’ll get over it.”

 

“Fine. What’s the period of time before he’s healed?” Tony huffed, crossing his arms.

 

“I’d say maybe two weeks,” Stephen answered.

 

“Shit, he’s not gonna be happy to hear that.” The shorter man mumbled.

 

“He shouldn’t have been so stupid.” Stephen piped up, and Tony glared at the taller man.

 

“Hey, don’t call him stupid, don’t scold his actions, only  _ I _ can do that.” 

 

“Right. Whatever. Do you need anything else?” Stephen muttered, shooting Tony a look that said  _ please get the fuck out of here. _ Tony smirked and peered inside the Sanctum.

 

“How about you give me a tour of this place? I’ve really only seen two rooms.”

 

“Absolutely not!” Stephen growled. Tony rolled his eyes and glanced at Wong. 

 

“How about you, Wong? Do you want to give me a tour? We can become best friends and make Strange over here jealous.” He shot Stephen a smirk.

 

“You flatter me, Stark, but I’m afraid we don’t hold any tours.” Wong spoke, getting up and walking towards the door. “You can, however, come at any point and just so happen to visit.” He winked at Tony, and Stephen shot him another cold gaze, narrowing his eyes. 

 

“I like this Wong guy, maybe I will come visit, just for him though.” His eyes flickered back to Stephen. “Not you, you’re not worth my appreciation.”

 

“Keep your appreciation, I don’t even want it.” The doctor grumbled. “Bye, Stark.”

 

“Kicking me out so soon? Why, I only just met Wong-”

 

“Yeah, Stephen, no need to be so rude to a  _ guest. _ ” Wong nudged Stephen with his elbow. Stephen huffed and put a hand to his forehead. 

 

“Stark, just leave - you’re giving me a headache.”

 

“Fine, I’ll leave.” Tony put his sunglasses back on. “I’ll be back for Wong though.” He smiled, teasing Stephen with every grin.

 

“Good, you guys can do stupid shit together. Goodbye!” Stephen closed the Sanctum door, shooting a glare towards Wong, who began to howl in laughter.

 

“Oh come on, Stephen, I’m just teasing you.” Wong held his hands up. “Just relax.”

 

“Honestly, sometimes you make me wanna flush myself down a toilet.” Stephen muttered, walking across the Sanctum back toward the bookshelf. “See? Didn’t I say his personality was awful?”

 

“Oh yes, perfect for you, you guys can be snarky assholes together.”

 

“No.”

 

“I’m not gonna let this go. The attraction is there, you just need to allow it to happen.” He smiled at Stephen, who threw a book at him.

 

“Sod off, I never should have said he was attractive, now you’re going to hold it over my head for a billion fucking years.”

 

“I can see it now - you’re going to be head over heels for him.”

 

“Hah, that’s hysterical.” Stephen sarcastically muttered. “Just shut up and listen to your Beyonce music, alright?”

 

Wong smirked but turned on his music and put his earphones in, sitting down and continued to read his book. Stephen sighed as he picked out another book and sat back down, his thoughts drifting towards Peter and Tony.

 

If it was any other injury that was life threatening, Stephen wouldn’t hesitate to risk it to save Peter - the kid was kind at heart and deserved to have a good life - but a concussion was just too mild to really risk losing his mystic arts status. He had hoped that Tony wouldn’t think of him as being selfish - mainly because he just went to an alien spaceship to save his life - but he still found himself mildly anxious over seeming to be selfish. 

 

Stephen sighed and shook his head, narrowing his mind to focus purely on the book in front of him. Thinking about the two would just have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wong is a mood


	6. Feverish

The billionaire stood in his lab, tinkering with Peter’s new suit - a gift that will be given to him after the concussion is healed. Tony knew Peter’s sadness about giving up the suit in exchange for Aunt May’s life and he knew how badly he wanted to go out and be Spiderman, but was unable to because of his concussion.

 

Tony sighed - he had never thought that he would grow to care so much for the boy. When he recruited him, he understood that he was young and probably naive, but never thought that Tony would take a fatherly role in Peter’s life. It felt...nice, if he were to be honest. Ever since he and Pepper split up, there had been a void left - like someone was missing. Having Peter around to protect and care for managed to fill that void, at least a little bit - for it to be fully filled he would have to have some kind of significant other.

 

His mind drifted to Stephen, and how  _ drawn _ he was to the doctor. Stephen had this complexion that caused Tony to drift towards him, like a moth attracted to a light.

 

It was the way his voice would calmly flow through the air in a soothing manner, and his prominent cheekbones that would lay smugly against his face, right underneath that piercing gaze of his, with sharp eyes that could transport him to the ocean. It pained the man to admit he was attractive, considering how arrogant Stephen was. Every insult that Tony threw at him bounced right back in an even wittier way, something Tony was  _ not  _ used to. It was like he had an impenetrable shield, and Tony was curious if there was a hole there - he was curious to see if Stephen had a weakness.

 

His mind told him to not bother, to not pry, to just ignore the man if he hated him so much, but Tony’s curiosity wanted to poke and find out Stephen’s limits.

 

Tony sighed as he slumped in a nearby chair, rubbing his fingers on his temple to try and ease a forming headache. The suit was nearly complete - he had been working all day and all night. He rarely slept, perhaps an hour at a time. 

 

Nightmares would haunt him, and going to sleep caused him to be teleported back onto that alien spaceship where he was routinely tortured. 

 

Words couldn’t describe the relief he had felt when Stephen walked into that room to save him - he thought he was a goner. 

 

Seeing him stroll in with his wizard getup and his determined face - oh, Tony could just have kissed him right then and there.

 

It was also that moment when Tony realized that this doctor was not going to leave his life anytime soon - Peter already seemed attached to him, constantly asking about him. It was enough to drive him absolutely bonkers, but it was also handy to have a doctor nearby that he could trust.

 

Well, somewhat trust. Tony was still unsure if he could fully trust him.

 

Although saving him from Yental’s ship definitely gave him some bonus points.

 

A phone call interrupted his thoughts, and he saw May Parker’s name on the phone screen. He took the phone and accepted the call, putting it up to his ear. “Hello?”

 

“Tony! Hello, how are you?” May’s voice seemed enthusiastic - which put an ease to some anxiety that Tony had.

 

“I’m fine, May, how are you? Everything alright?”

 

“Oh, yeah, everything is fine. I just need a favor from you, I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“Sure,” Tony replied. “What do you need me to do?”

 

“Peter’s not feeling too well, and I have to leave for work in a few minutes and I don’t have time to take him to the doctor. I was wondering if you were able to take him. I know-“ she paused to sigh. “I know you’re busy because you’re Tony Stark and you’re not even his father, but I figured you could help me out here. If not that’s completely ok-“

 

“Of course I’ll take him. I’ll be over soon, alright? Just head out to work.” Tony interrupted, smiling a bit. 

 

“Thank you so much, Tony, truly, thank you.” May sounded relieved on the other line. “I’m gonna go. Thank you again.”

 

“It’s not a problem, May.” Tony got up from his seat. “Bye!”

 

“Goodbye!”

 

Tony hung up the phone and called Happy to get the car ready. 

 

A doctor’s visit, huh?

 

Tony smirked - he knew just the place.

 

***

 

Tony arrived at Peter’s apartment and knocked on the door, and a very pale Peter answered the door, wrapped in a grey blanket and with a thermometer hanging out of his mouth. 

 

“Wow kid, you look awful.” Tony commented, making his way into the room.

 

“Thanks, Mr. Stark.” Peter muttered, closing the door behind Tony and slumping over to sit down on the couch.

 

“Don’t get too comfortable. I’m here to take you to the doctor.” 

 

Peter groaned as he slumped over. “I don’t wanna go.”

 

“Would you go if I told you we’ll see a wizard?”

 

Peter perked up, though it was barely noticeable through his disheveled appearance. “We’re gonna go see Doctor Strange?”

 

Tony chuckled, leaning against the table in the room. “Well, we’re gonna pay him a little doctor’s visit.”

 

“Oh. I thought you were going to take me to my pediatrician. I don’t like them.” Peter huffed, sitting up. “Does Doctor Strange know we’re coming?”

 

“Nope.” Tony smiled wider, knowing that Strange might just be extremely annoyed at their surprise visit. “We’ll surprise him. And he won’t turn us away because you’re sick.”

 

“Alright, let’s go then.” Peter slowly stood up, groaning as he held his head. “I just feel so terrible, man.”

 

“You’re sick, bud,” Tony told him as Peter approached. “I bet the concussion doesn’t help.”

 

“Yeah, my head kills and I can’t tell if it’s the concussion or this fever.” Peter muttered, walking towards the door, slowly opening it. He still had his blanket wrapped around him - the fever gave him chills.

 

“Let me take this,” Tony took the thermometer out of Peter’s mouth and placed on the table. “Now let’s go.”

 

***

 

The ride was silent. Peter leaned against the window, his breathing unsteady and somewhat shaky. Tony felt terrible for the boy - being sick while also experiencing a concussion did not sound like the best experience. 

 

Happy pulled up to the Sanctum and the two got out of the car. Tony told Happy to go home - he was sure that Stephen would just portal them home if need be. Together, Peter and Tony walked towards the door, and Tony knocked three times. 

 

The door opened to reveal Wong, who Tony had met previously. Wong smiled wide.

 

“Stark, it is good to see you.”

 

“It’s fantastic to see you as well, Wong, but,” Tony made a motion towards Peter. “I was wondering if Stephen was available or not busy.”

 

“Always busy, Stark, I got the Sanctum to protect.” A deep voice piped up from behind Wong. Stephen was wearing casual clothes - a muscle shirt and jeans. It was a good look for him, as his arms looked very -  _ appealing  _ \- at least in Tony’s eyes. 

 

He must have been staring because Stephen cleared his throat and Tony’s eyes shot up. Tony felt his face turn hot as he also cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, I know you got a wizard castle to protect, but Peter here is sick.”

 

Stephen peered over to Peter, who was still wrapped in his grey blanket. His eyes widened as he studied Peter’s appearance - pale, slumped, and shivering. He stepped forward and placed a hand to Peter’s forehead, and Tony noticed the scars once again. They covered his hand, and Tony figured that they were the cause of his trembles.

 

“Hot. Definitely a fever.” Stephen muttered to Tony. “Bring him inside and upstairs. You remember the bedroom he was in before? I gotta get some things, if you could put him up there I’ll meet you.”

 

Tony nodded and walked past Wong and Stephen and up the stairs. When they got to the bedroom, Peter immediately climbed into bed and laid flat on his back, letting out a painful groan.

 

“It’s alright, kid, you’ll be fine.” Tony reassured, sitting at the edge of the bed next to Peter. Tony put his hand to Peter’s forehead. Stephen was right - it was burning. 

 

_ Poor kid. _

 

A  _ whooshing  _ sound indicated that Stephen had portaled into the room. He was still dressed casually and Tony averted his eyes as to not stare, though he did notice the plastic gloves that Stephen was now wearing. Stephen placed a cup of tea down on the nightstand.

 

“So, Peter, tell me, what are you feeling?” The doctor asked as he approached the bed. Tony stood up and next to Stephen.

 

“My head kills, Doctor Strange - and I feel so nauseous. And cold.” Peter replied weakly, putting his hands over his face.

 

“Mmhm, have you vomited at all?” Stephen conjured a thermometer and placed it into Peter’s mouth. “Keep this under your tongue and don’t stir.”

 

Peter nodded and held two fingers up, indicating that he had vomited twice earlier. Stephen nodded, and soon beeping could be heard from the thermometer. He took it out of Peter’s mouth and studied the number, sighing. 

 

“Yep, 101. Definite fever.” He turned the thermometer over so Tony could catch a glimpse. “Seems you have a virus, Peter.” Stephen turned to face Tony. “You know, as much as I live up to the doctor name, why’d you come  _ here  _ and not take him to a pediatrician?”

 

“Kid doesn’t like pediatricians. Kid likes wizard doctors. Only way to compromise.” Tony shrugged and flashed a smile towards Peter, who giggled slightly.

 

Stephen’s face expressed amusement as he grabbed the tea from the nightstand and handed it to Peter. “Drink this slowly - it’s ginger. It should alleviate some of the nausea. And Stark,” he turned back towards the billionaire. “You need to make sure he has fluids and drinks. Feed him light foods like toast or chicken noodle soup.”

 

“Gotcha, Doc. Thanks for taking him.” Tony snickered slightly, and the doctor only smiled out of amusement.

 

“I figured you were gonna make up  _ some _ excuse to visit me again.” Stephen smirked, side-eyeing Tony as he turned around to face Peter again, conjuring up an ice pack to place on his forehead. “I know I’m just that irresistible.”

 

“Don’t think too highly of yourself, Doc.”

 

“Just taking after you.” 

 

“Should I be honored?” Tony narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Or should I be flatout disgusted?”

 

“I think honored.”

 

“Besides,” Tony stated. “The kid’s actually sick, and he actually hates his pediatrician. Not an excuse, but a must visit.”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“I hate my doctor,” Peter spoke up, his voice weak. “They give me shots.”

 

“Those shots help you survive.” Stephen informed, slipping off his gloves into the trash can. “Prevents you from getting certain diseases.”

 

“I  _ know _ that.” Peter pouted, crossing his arms. “They still hurt.”

 

Stephen chuckled at the kid. “Yeah, I know. Well,” he turned to Tony.  “Peter is more than welcome to stay here if he would like, for as long as he needs.”

 

“He can stay until his Aunt comes back from work, then I gotta drive him back. So, he’s got a couple of hours.” Tony glanced at Peter. “Hey Peter, why don’t you get some sleep, and I’ll wake you when it’s time to leave?”

 

“Sounds good, Mr. Stark.” Peter yawned and started to relax into his pillow. 

 

Stephen opened a portal back to the main room of the Sanctum and stepped through it, inviting Tony to follow. Stephen called out to his Cloak and told it to stay in the room to watch over Peter, and it flew through the portal, which Stephen closed. Tony raised an eyebrow.

 

“That’s a loyal piece of cloth right there.”

 

“Yes,” Wong spoke up, startling Tony. “I was very surprised when it chose Stephen as its master. A very lucky man, indeed.”

 

“Jesus, do all of you wizards make surprising entrances?” Tony huffed, trying to catch his breath. Stephen rolled his eyes and walked towards a chair, sitting into it. He gestured for Tony to take a seat in the chair across from him, and Tony shook his head. “No thanks, I’m gonna use this as an opportunity to look around this wizard castle.”

 

“ _ Sanctum, _ ” Stephen huffed, getting up from the chair. “Allow me to give you the tour, if it means you’ll finally get off my ass about it.”

 

“Off  _ your _ pretty ass? Please.” Tony smirked - and he captured a hint of a blush spreading across Stephen’s face. 

 

“ _ My _ pretty ass?” Stephen narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be throwing compliments now, you kiss ass.”

 

“Now you want me to kiss ass? Damn, didn’t think you’d be so upfront about this, Doc.”

 

“Why must your mind be constantly in the gutter?” Stephen replied, crossing his arms.

 

“Can you both stop?” Wong interrupted, placing both hands on his hips. “Stephen, just show him the damn place.”

 

“Fine, follow me, Stark.”

 

Tony followed Stephen and listened to him as he droned on about all of the places inside the sanctum - it was very intriguing, to say the least. 

 

Tony, however, found himself not really paying attention to what Stephen was saying, but rather focusing on  _ how _ he was saying it, as well as focusing on how  _ amazing _ Stephen looked in that muscle shirt and jeans. His arms were toned, showing off some nice muscles that Tony felt his eyes drawn to. 

 

Tony felt his face getting hot as he realized how attractive he found the man in front of him - now that he had seen him multiple times up close. His piercing, blue gaze always managed to strike right through his brown eyes, causing his heart to race. 

 

But why? The man was arrogant, cocky, and a pain to be around. Why must he have such good looks? And  _ why  _ did Tony have to find him so appealing to the eye?

 

“Tony?” His voice sliced through Tony’s thoughts like a knife.

 

“Huh?” Tony’s eyes widened. “Huh, what?”

 

“I asked you what you thought of the place.” Stephen reiterated, crossing his arms. “You seem to have not been paying attention.”

 

“No! I was!” Tony narrowed his eyes. “It’s all...it’s all very cool. Books and shit. Libraries. Bedrooms. Magic, wizard things. Very cool.”

 

Stephen sighed, placing his hand on his forehead. “You are so exhausting, I swear.” He leaned against a book shelf and exhaled. “Sometimes I wonder how so many people look up to you.”

 

“Because I’m an excellent role model.” Tony sneered, standing up a little straighter. “Successful billionaire, hero, you know.”

 

“Yeah, took your father’s business.”

 

“Hey.” Tony furrowed his eyebrows. “Don’t bring that into the picture. I was young when I inherited it, because my father died. You know how taxing that is on a twenty-one year old?”

 

Stephen said nothing.

 

“I like to think of myself as a pretty  _ damn _ good role model, but whatever,” Tony huffed.

 

Stephen’s expression softened as he held his hands up. “Sorry, that was taking it too far.”

 

Tony exhaled. “It’s alright.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“It’s fine. But, since you took that too far...” Tony smirked as he grabbed one of Stephen’s hands.

 

“W-what are you doing?” Stephen asked, trying to suppress a blush.

 

“Studying your hand.” Tony simply stated, bringing the hand closer to his face. “I noticed a bunch of these scars, and I’m kinda curious to know what happened. Seems fair for you to tell me since you brought up my father.”

 

“I highly doubt that’s a reasonable comparison.” Stephen replied, pulling his hand away. “I don’t need to tell you anything about my past.”

 

“Okay, so tell me about how blushy you got when I grabbed your hand just now.” Tony eyed Stephen and smirked - he was trying to find that weak point.

 

“Nice try, Stark, but your playboy attitude doesn’t work on me. I don’t like people causing too much of a focus on my hand.” 

 

_ Damnit. _

 

“But, if you’re going to play  _ that  _ game,” Stephen grinned as he walked past Tony. “Then you should tell me why I caught you staring at me at the door this morning.”

 

“Oh, simple. I was so used to your wizard clothing that seeing you in casual clothes was just so shocking.” Tony smiled back, crossing his arms.

 

“Mhm, you sure it wasn’t the fact that I was  _ wearing _ a muscle shirt and you could see the muscles?”

 

“Oh, very sure. I find your arms mediocre at best.” Tony replied, though he knew he was lying through his teeth.

 

Stephen smirked and shook his head. “Fine, Stark. If that’s what you want to believe.”

 

“Oh, it’s what-“

 

Before Tony could respond, the Cloak flew in and went directly to Stephen.

 

“Is the boy awake?” Stephen asked, and the Cloak made a motion as if it was nodding. “Perfect.”

 

He used his sling ring to create a portal to the bedroom Peter was in. He stepped through and held a hand out for Tony, who raised an eyebrow as he grabbed it and stepped through. Stephen let go of Tony’s hand and walked towards Peter, who was sitting up in the bed and stretching.

 

“Hi, Doctor Strange and Mr. Stark. I feel a little better.”

 

“Good nap?” Tony asked.

 

“Yes. Had a weird dream, though, I can’t remember it.” Peter shrugged as he turned to Stephen. “Can you portal us home? Or at least back to my apartment?”

 

“Yes, just tell me where it is and I can get you both out of here.” Stephen smiled at the two, and Tony scoffed.

 

“You just wanna get rid of me.” Tony put a hand on his hips, and Stephen chuckled. 

 

“Absolutely.” 

 

Peter told Stephen his address and a portal was created outside of the apartment complex. Peter grabbed his grey blanket and walked through the portal, waiting for Tony to step through. Once he had, Peter turned back to Doctor Strange.

 

“Thank you so much for helping me out, again.”

 

“Of course, kid. I told you, if you ever need me, you let me know,” Stephen smiled. “And, again, if that one is ever giving you a hard time, come to me.”

 

He tossed a wink in Tony’s direction, who rolled his eyes but blushed slightly at it.

 

“Will do, Doctor Strange.” Peter grinned, and Stephen closed the portal. “He’s such a nice guy!”

 

“Hmph, I beg to differ.” Tony muttered as he started walking towards the apartment. “Come on, let’s get you back on that couch. I’ll get you some soup and some water.”

 

“Okay, thanks Mr. Stark!”

 

As soon as they opened the door, Peter slumped over to the couch, taking the whole couch up as he spread across it. He let out another groan.

 

“Damnit, why does my head hurt so bad?”

 

“Probably your concussion still, kid.”

 

“I forgot to ask Doctor Strange about that. Whoops,” Peter sighed.

 

Tony chuckled slightly and got Peter a glass of water, sitting down next to him on the couch.

 

“Hey, Mr. Stark?”

 

“Yeah, kiddo?”

 

“Do you like Doctor Strange?” The boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Like, do you think he’s a good guy? He did save you, after all. I just know you always have this kind of fighting relationship going on.”

 

Tony laughed, shaking his head. “I guess I gotta admit he is a good guy, saving my life and all. I think it’s all teasing, I wouldn’t worry so much about it.”

 

“Good, I like you both, I don’t want you guys to actually hate each other.”

 

“Nah, I don’t hate him.” Tony admitted, shrugging. “Just think he’s infuriating, that’s all.”

 

_ And attractive. _

 

“Okay, well, I guess that makes me feel slightly better.” Peter took another sip of his water. “Thanks for taking me to him, though.”

 

“Not a problem kid,” Tony replied, patting Peter’s leg. “Not a problem at all.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi <3 hope you enjoyed this chapter!!


	7. Gashes

It was completely silent in Tony’s lab, except for the occasional sparking sound and the  _ clink _ of tools hitting metal. 

 

“Boss,” A voice called out. “It’s midnight.”

 

Tony let out a sigh as he put down his tool. “Not going to bed tonight, Friday, I gotta work on this suit for the kid.”

 

“Not going or don’t  _ want _ to go?” Friday snarked, and Tony let out a small chuckle - he had programmed his artificial intelligence to match his wit and sarcasm. 

 

“You already know that answer, Fri.” Tony shook his head and continued to work. “I don’t plan on sleeping ever again.”

 

“You are physically incapable of doing that.”

 

“Watch me.” Tony shot back to the surrounding voice. 

 

“Sir, I cannot watch, I don’t have eyes.”

 

“But you-” Tony sighed and let out a laugh in defeat. “Alright, Fri, you win this round.”

 

He stared down at the suit - it was almost complete, just needed a few minor tinkerings. Tony grinned, thinking about the how the boy is going to react to the suit. Peter would shake with glee, and probably fling his arms around Tony in complete happiness. 

 

He enjoyed making suits and experimenting with new technologies - it provided him a sense of comfort - a sense of relief, per say. It also provided him an excuse to stay up, saying how he “had to work on this suit” instead of sleeping and risking nightmares.

 

Tony would occasionally fall asleep while working, only to be brutally woken up by some nightmare an hour later. He would panic for a few seconds as he would look around, trying to focus on where he was - and once he realized that he had just fallen asleep in his lab, he would continue working, using the new anxiety to advance his suits.

 

A  _ whooshing _ sound was heard followed by a clattering of tools hitting the floor and a voice weakly shouting out “Stark!”

 

Tony shot around and his eyes widened as he saw Stephen fall through a portal, grasping at his chest. He ran to the doctor and caught him, briefly catching a quick glance at the horrid action on the other side of the portal before it closed. Stephen laid on the ground, his breathing shallow and his color draining - he was bleeding profusely through his chest. The cloak flew away, watching the two men while floating in the corner.

 

“Friday. Run vitals. Please.” Tony called out.

 

“Low,” Friday answered. Tony grabbed Stephen’s face.

 

“Stay with me, Strange, I’m gonna help you.” Tony reassured, panic arising deep in his voice.

 

“T...th...thank you,” Stephen whispered before gasping in pain.

 

“There appears to be a gash in his chest - he has lost a lot of blood.” Friday informed, and Tony began trying to get the robes off. 

 

“Shit, Strange, how the fuck do you get these off?”

 

Stephen only cried out in pain as his response, and Tony finally found an opening and pushed the robes open, revealing a giant gash on the right side of his chest - he had been stabbed. 

 

“Strange, you gotta stay with me.” Tony gently patted Stephen’s face to make sure he didn’t drift into unconsciousness. Stephen’s breathing became slow and his eyes becoming more glossy. 

 

In an instant, Tony pressed his faux arc reactor, allowing his suit to overcome him. He pointed a hand at Stephen’s gash and used a special substance to seal it, in order to prevent any more blood loss - the stuff was an icy-blue and it was handy for moments such as this. Tony pressed the button again and his suit disappeared as he provided pressure on the now sealed wound.

 

“Strange - Stephen - are you with me?” Tony asked, his voice shaky.

 

Stephen said nothing but continued to stare upwards, his breathing shallow.

 

“He has lost a lot of blood, he is drifting in and out of consciousness.” Friday’s voice rang out, and Tony nodded.

 

“Stephen, are you there?”

 

“Yes.” He managed to weakly spit out. “Thank you.”

 

Tony sighed in relief, though not all of his anxiety had left him. He leaned over the doctor, who was trying to find his breath. 

 

“Tony…” Stephen whispered dryly. Tony stared at the injured man with a concerned look.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You have…” Stephen blinked slowly. “You have such beautiful, brown eyes.”

 

The saying didn’t even register in Tony’s brain as Stephen had closed his eyes, drifting into unconsciousness. Tony felt a brief sense of panic race through his veins as he checked for a pulse.

 

“Pulse is normal, sir, he is just unconscious from blood loss..” Friday informed him, and he exhaled slowly, trying to calm his quickened heart rate. He shifted his head to the cloak that floated in the corner, watching. 

 

“Hey, uh, Cape Thing, I have a spare bedroom upstairs in the compound. If you could take him, I could show you where it is?” The billionaire told the cloak, which made a nodding motion. It flew over and gently wrapped around Stephen, lifting him in the air. Tony shook his head slightly, muttering something about how it was the “craziest thing he had ever goddamn seen,” and began walking out of the lab as the cloak followed. 

 

Tony opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms and the cloak floated inside, carefully placing Stephen on the bed. Tony took a blanket and covered the sorcerer and exhaled softly.

 

“Well, I was not expecting this sort of interruption.” He shook his head and let out a light-hearted laugh. “Your friend has some explaining to do when he wakes up.” 

 

The cloak said nothing, of course, and Tony wondered whether or not Stephen had conversations with it. “Crazy wizard,” he muttered. “Talking to capes, coming into labs almost dead and scaring the shit outta me. Crazy, crazy, crazy.”

 

***

 

The sorcerer jolted awake, gasping for air as he sat up. He glanced around the unrecognizable room until his eyes rested on a familiar artifact. Seeing the cloak, he sighed in relief, clutching his chest as he tried to slow his breathing.

 

“Thank god you’re here. Wherever here is, at least.” Stephen murmured to the cloak.

 

“You’re in Tony Stark’s spare bedroom.” A voice rang out. “You suddenly appeared in his lab bleeding profusely, and he closed the wound. You passed out from blood loss shortly after, so Boss put you in a spare bedroom. I’ll inform him that you are awake now.”

 

“Oh - right,” Stephen somewhat remembered portalling into Tony’s lab after being stabbed in the chest by some mystic creature. 

 

Tony opened the door with a glass of orange juice and some toast and walked up to Stephen, who was still sitting up in bed. “Good afternoon, Harry Potter, how are ya feeling? You’ve been passed out for awhile.”

 

“Like absolute shit,” Stephen admitted. “I feel weak.”

 

“Well, yeah, you lost blood.” Tony handed him the glass and food. “Eat this, it’ll help you get some energy back.”

 

Stephen graciously accepted the items and began to consume them slowly.

 

“So, Wizard, are you going to explain yourself? You know, for just kinda popping into my lab a bloody mess?” Tony asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

 

“Yeah, you deserve an explanation.” Stephen sighed and put down the glass and toast as he stared at the man. “I was with Wong and a bunch of other sorcerers, trying to defend ourselves from some mystic creatures. One of them stabbed me, and I collapsed onto the ground, clutching the wound and trying to apply pressure, but I was losing blood - and fast. Wong saw me and shouted at me to get help - to get away. And you - well,” he glanced downwards, a slight blush appearing on his face. “You were the first person I thought of that could help me.”

 

Tony’s lips formed an “o” shape as his expression softened. “Well, I’m glad you’re alright, you scared the shit outta me, you know?”

 

“I don’t even know if Wong and the others are alright.” Stephen continued, muttering. “I hope they are.”

 

“Well, I’m sure they’re alright. You wizards are capable of anything, to be honest.” Tony comforted, sitting on the edge of the bed. Stephen sighed and covered his face with scarred hands. 

 

“Obviously incapable of not being stabbed,” he murmured through his hands before placing them back in his lap. 

 

“Hey, buddy, we all get injured on the job - it happens.” Tony shrugged, trying to comfort the injured doctor. “Do you not remember Peter’s concussion, and the injuries I sustained when I was captured? It’s part of it.”

 

“Yeah, I guess.”

 

“Well, I know, so don’t guess.” Tony flashed a brief smile before rubbing the back of his head. “And uh, sorry, I kinda had to fumble with your robes a bit - they were hard to get off.”

 

“It’s fine. Do you-“ Stephen paused, looking a tad embarrassed. “Do you happen to have any clothes I can borrow? I can’t quite portal away and I can’t magically put on clothes yet.”

 

“Yeah, I gotcha, no worries. I’ll bring you some spare clothes. You just - you just relax, alright? Put on the TV, chill out, and uh, call for Friday if you need anything. I’m going to be in my lab - I gotta work on the suit.”

 

“I’m sorry for making a complete mess.” Stephen apologized, his eyes filled with sincerity.

 

“Hey, it’s alright - I’m just glad I didn’t have a dead wizard in my lab. That would have been an even  _ bigger  _ mess to clean up.” He joked, eyeing Stephen to see if he would lighten up, and was relieved when he let out a small chuckle. 

 

Tony walked towards the door before turning back around to face the sorcerer. “Also, you say some pretty weird things when you’re all woozy.”

 

“Oh, what’d I say?”

 

Tony smirked “Oh, nothing too bad, just that I had beautiful eyes.”

 

Stephen’s face flushed as he shook his head. “That  _ is  _ weird.”

 

“That’s right. You’re the one with the pretty eyes.” 

 

Stephen glanced up as Tony tossed him a wink before leaving the room. His face became hot and a small smile appeared before he reached for the remote to turn on the TV, relaxing into the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big flirt Tony and flustered Stephen, how nice!


	8. Interruption

Tony studied the woman on the TV screen - a news reporter who looked to be in her mid 30s. Dark hair, glasses, wrinkles under her eyes - probably stressed. She droned on about the news - two men shot and killed in a robbery. Happened earlier in the morning.

 

Tony sighed, shaking his head as he turned the woman off. Bad news always put him in a sour mood, though it was his fault the news was on, he had flipped through the channels and saw them doing a piece about Iron Man, and of course he had to watch it. Though it was brief, it had been interesting.

 

Tony inhaled deeply as his mind shifted towards the doctor that was resting in one of the compounds. He didn’t know much about the man - just that he was, well, a doctor and sorcerer. Tony remembered his encounter with the man in the Sanctum, where he had asked about his past. Stephen refused to tell him, and Tony knew in his heart that he should respect that.

 

But his curiosity got the better of him.

 

The billionaire pulled out his phone and went onto a browser. He searched “Doctor Stephen Strange” into Google and clicked on the first result.

 

_Top Neurosurgeon Injured In Car Accident._

 

An accident - how intriguing. Tony read through the article.

 

_Stephen Strange, famous for his neurosurgery and exquisite work, was injured in a car accident. He was speeding and appeared to have been talking on the phone when he collided with another vehicle, knocking him off a cliff. He was found slightly conscious and remains in hospice care at the time of this article._

 

Tony gulped - what a horror story. So that was the reason behind his scarred and trembling hands - a car accident.

 

He debated on whether or not he should bring it up to Stephen. It was public information after all.

 

He tossed his phone to the side and leaned his head back against the couch, letting out a small sigh. Boredom was common for Tony - and it was usually treated with going to the lab and tinkering with suits.

 

With a huff, he stood up, stretching for a brief moment and yawning, despite not doing much. Before he was finished stretching, Stephen walked into the room, wearing Tony’s casual clothes that he had given him,

 

“Well, nice to see you out and about.” Tony remarked walking towards Stephen. He looked pale still, but some of his strength seemed to have returned to him.

 

“Yeah. I don’t think I can quite portal myself out yet.” Stephen rubbed his head. “I hope you don’t mind me staying a little longer.”

 

Tony chuckles, his smile forming into a smirk. “I don’t mind, though I could do without your presence.”

 

“So you do mind.”

 

“I’m just teasing,” Tony shook his head. “I would offer you a ride back to the Sanctum, but..,” he trailed off.

 

Stephen’s eyebrows raised and his posture shifted. “But...what?”

 

Tony exhaled and stared the man straight into his eyes. “But...I’m assuming you don’t do cars.”

 

Stephen glanced downwards, letting out a small laugh as he shook his head. “You researched me.”

 

Tony shrugged, “It wasn’t that hard. It was the first result that popped up.”

 

“I told you to not prod, yet you did it anyway.” Stephen turned around, throwing his hands up. “Ridiculous.”

 

“It’s public information, Stephen.”

 

“Yeah?” Stephen shot back around, his eyes darkening as he hissed. “So is your thing with Afghanistan, but you don’t see me talking about _that_ , now, do you?”

 

Tony’s mouth snapped shut as he tensed up.

 

“Sorry,” Stephen muttered, taking a deep breath. “It’s a sensitive topic.”

 

“No...I,” Tony exhaled, shaking his head. “I should have known better. That was dumb of me.”

 

“Tony Stark, admitting he was dumb about something?” Stephen’s eyes returned to their normal state - more bright. “Must be a full moon.”

 

“You know, you should really brush up on new material, I think you’ve used that joke before.” Tony quipped, an amused expression overtaking his face.

 

“Hmm, did I? I don’t recall.”

 

“Already losing your memory, old man?” Tony walked slightly forward.

 

“Old man?” Stephen scoffed before his face turned into a smirking expression. “I believe you are older than me.”

 

“You wouldn’t be able to tell in…” His eyes changed to a more flirtatious glance. “...In certain situations.”

 

Stephen’s eyes widened and a slight blush warmed his face. It disappeared soon after as he walked closer to the shorter man, his eyes glistening. “Oh, is that so?”

 

Tony inched closer, his eyes unmoving, staring straight into the deep blue of Stephen’s. “Though I don’t know if you’re _deserving_ of discovering what I really am talking about.”

 

Stephen blinked, lips parting slightly. He noticed the way Tony’s face blushed slightly at the distance between them, their lips hovering just mere inches from the other. Stephen’s eyes flickered downwards to Tony’s lips and back up to meet the dilated eyes opposite from him. Tony inched forward to-

 

“Boss? The boy is at your door.” Friday’s voice rang out.

 

Tony paused, a blush now incredibly visible on his face. He coughed as he backed away. “Let...let him in.”

 

Stephen’s face was also burning hot. The two remained stationary as Peter opened the door to the place. The two men turned to look at the young boy carrying his school backpack.

 

“Hi Mr. Stark, I was wondering if-“ he glanced up and paused, realizing how close the two men were standing. “Oh, uh, hi Doctor Strange. Was I, um…” Peter’s eyes shifted around the room. “Was I interrupting something? I can...I can just-“

 

“No,” Tony cleared his throat, moving away from Stephen towards the teenager. “No, we were just, uh, arguing. About something.”

 

“Yeah,” Stephen casted a glare towards the billionaire. “Tony doesn’t know when to stop prodding into people’s lives.”

 

“Oh, enough, I saved your life, you owe me that much.” Tony snapped back, smiling at Peter. “So, what’s up kid? Why are you here?”

 

“Well, I’m here because of-“ Peter hesitated, his eyes widening. “Wait you saved his _life_?”

 

Tony sighed as he covered his face with his hands. “Yeah. Portaled into my lab a bloody mess. Luckily I was in there.”

 

“I got stabbed by some creature.” Stephen clarified, holding his hands up. “Nothing to worry about, I’m all good now, I just am staying here until I recover enough to portal on out of here.”

 

“Which I hope is soon.” Tony remarked, rolling

his eyes.

 

“It can’t come soon enough.”

 

“Oh, well, um, okay, can you help me with my math homework?” Peter asked, shifting uncomfortably.

 

“You came all this way to see me because of math homework?” Tony asked, crossing his arms. Peter shook his head nervously.

 

“No! I also, um, I also just wanted to get out of the apartment. Aunt May has...well, someone over and...Ned was busy so…” Peter rubbed the back of his head. “If I’m really disturbing something I can just, I don’t know, go back or something.”

 

Tony sighed - he couldn’t turn away the kid. Whatever Stephen and him were...about to do, they can discuss it later.

 

“Kid, it’s fine, you can stay here.” Tony ruffled the younger boy’s hair. “

 

“Thank you so much, Mr. Stark!” Peter’s face brightened up.

 

“How’s your head, kiddo?” Stephen piped up, and Peter turned to him and smiled.

 

“A lot better, I think I’m almost completely healed!” Peter remarked, excited. “Soon I’ll be able to be Spiderman again!”

 

Stephen grinned - the kid had a contagious smile - it was warm and innocent.

 

“You need a suit first, Peter,” Tony laughed. “Which I am working on, I promise.”

 

“Oh, is that what you were working on when I stumbled in?” Stephen let out a small chuckle as he stood next to Tony.

 

“Yes, actually. I was planning on finishing it, but someone interrupted me.” Tony casted a side glance towards the sorcerer, who shrugged.

 

“Whoops.”

 

Peter’s eyes shifted between the two of them. The tension in the atmosphere was thick - he knew he probably interrupted something.

 

“So, Peter, wanna watch a movie?” Tony asked, pointing towards the couch. “We can watch whatever, and maybe Strange will join us.”

 

“Sure, why not?” Stephen agreed, nodding.

 

“Okay! I’ll go choose a movie!” Peter bolted to the couches to find a movie. Tony watched him go, then immediately turned to Stephen. Stephen cleared his throat and looked downwards and Tony shifted somewhat uncomfortably.

 

“So...movie.” Tony pointed back where Peter was sitting.

 

“Yeah…” Stephen’s eyes still avoided Tony’s. “Let’s go watch a movie.”

 

The two walked towards Peter and sat on either side of him, both remaining silent and avoiding the other’s eyes.

 

Peter shot a quick glance to both of them.

  
Oh yeah, he _definitely_ interrupted something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHHAHAHAHAHAA


	9. Manticore

_The sorcerers huddled around a table in the library, studying an open book that laid on it. Their expressions were a mixture of confusion, of worry, and of concern._

 

_“Any word on Strange’s condition?” A male voice asked the sorcerer in the center._

 

_“No, not that I am aware of.” Wong responded, his voice low. “I told him to go and get help, I may have an idea to where he went. It has been a couple of days since he has been at the Sanctum, though.”_

 

_“Hopefully he has a full recovery,” a female voice wished. “Though we should warn him soon.”_

 

_“I will stop by and make a visit today and check up on him,” Wong reassured. “And also tell him.”_

 

_“The creature,” a male sorcerer gulped. “Remind me of the name again?”_

 

_“It’s called a Manticore.” Wong pointed a finger to the book. “Popular in Greek mythology. It has the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion and the face of a human, combined with sharp teeth and protrusive spikes, which is how Strange was stabbed. They can shoot their spines like arrows, and it struck Strange. The fact that we encountered one is dangerous and terrifying, and it worries me that there might be more. We need to deal with them before they reach the civilians.”_

 

_“How do we stop them?”_

 

_“Like any animal, we just have to kill it. We managed to get a hold of one and strike it down, but if there are multiple, it will be more difficult then we have imagined. We probably will need all of the help we can get.” Wong dryly stated, rubbing his forehead. A bead of sweat rolled down his face and he wiped it off. “I will go find Strange today and warn him of the upcoming conflict.”_

 

***

 

Peter had slept over, and he awoke on the couch, his hair wild. He sat up and stretched, yawning as he did so. He glanced over to his phone that was resting on the table and saw that he had a text from Aunt May, just stating to have fun. He had let her know the previous night that he was staying over at the Stark place.

 

He must have fallen asleep during the movie. Peter let out a small chuckle as he tried to remember the ending of the movie but found himself unable to.

 

Peter’s mind drifted to the two men that he was stuck in between - he noticed that there was some kind of awkward tension between them. He knew that something was going on, but he also had to respect any kind of privacy Tony might have. Peter sighed - everything was so confusing.

 

A door opened and Tony walked into the room, wearing loose pajama pants and a raggedy t-shirt. He glanced over to the couch and his face lightened up when he saw Peter sitting up on the couch. “Good morning, kiddo, you slept well.”

 

“Yeah,” Peter giggled softly. “I must have passed out during the movie. Whoops.”

 

“Yes, you did. You clocked out about halfway through. You were tired.” Tony coughed slightly. “We didn’t even realize until the movie was over.”

 

“Haha, sorry,” Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Where is Doctor Strange?”

 

“He’s uh,” Tony pointed upstairs. “He’s still resting.”

 

“Mr. Stark, did I interrupt something yesterday?” Peter asked cautiously, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. Tony shook his head, though his face turned a slight shade of pink.

 

“No, Peter, no, you’re alright.” Tony let out a chuckle, but it sounded more as just a huff. “Probably was good you came in anyway. We were, uh, arguing. Could have gotten bad, I think.”

 

“Oh,” Peter raised an eyebrow. “Arguing about what?”

 

“Nothing, kiddo, don’t worry about it.” Tony walked towards the boy and ruffled his hair, sitting down next to him on the couch. “It’s all settled.”

 

“Are you sure? It seemed a little,” Peter shrugged. “I don’t know, _awkward_ , last night.”

 

Tony rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, well, sometimes things just come out of nowhere and can create this sort of tension. It doesn’t concern you, kiddo, so don’t worry.” Tony smiled softly. “How does your head feel?”

 

“Better. I think it’s almost completely healed.”

 

“Perfect!” Tony stood up and ruffled Peter’s hair again. “Because last night, I finished your suit. It’s got some updated technology and new tweeks, should be entirely amazing as an upgrade.”

 

Peter’s face brightened up and his eyes glistened, pupils widening in sheer happiness. “Really? That’s so cool! I can’t wait to use it!”

 

“Yep, but we gotta wait for the magic word from the magic doctor,” Tony smirked, chuckling to himself. “He’s the one who will tell you if you’re healed or not.”

 

“Guess I came downstairs at the right time?” A voice popped up from behind them. Tony turned around to see Stephen dressed in Tony’s pajamas. He looked considerably better than the previous day - he must have recovered well.

 

Tony nodded, letting out a small smile. “Yeah, don’t you think it’s time to run a little checkup on Peter and see how his concussion is coming along?”

 

Stephen walked over, his eyes a bit sleepy - and Tony took notice of the way Stephen looked after just woken up. His hair was in mild disarray and a bit curly around the edges, hanging over the front of his face in an adorable way. His eyes were a pale blue, almost seemingly grey in the lack of light in the room as well as the tiredness that he had. His facial hair seemed longer than normal, probably from lack of shaving due to the loss of energy that he had. Tony felt a heat rise in his face as he studied the man - he was just... _breathtaking_.

 

Stephen, completely oblivious to the scrutinizing, sat next to Peter on the couch.

 

“Does your head hurt when you run, walk, et cetera?” Stephen asked the teenager, who shook his head.

 

“Nope. It doesn’t hurt much anymore.” Peter shrugged, smiling wide. “In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all. I feel fine.”

 

Stephen grinned and stood up. “You’re healed. You can be Spiderman again.”

 

“Yes!” Peter jumped up in a fit of excitement. “Can I try on the suit now? Please? I wanna test all of the new features! Can I shoot web even _farther_ now? Oh my god what if I can shoot the length of like, _two_ football fields? Holy crow that would be so cool-”

 

“Relax, Peter.” Tony interrupted, chuckling. He heard what seemed to be laughter underneath Stephen’s breath. “We can try the suit on-”

 

A _whooshing_ sound startled the three of them, turning around to see Wong standing in a portal. He hadn’t stepped through, but Stephen could recognize that he was in the Sanctum.

 

“Wong,” Stephen’s eyes widened. “You’re alright.”

 

“Yes,” Wong reassured. “And I am glad to see that you are recovering as well. There is something we must discuss.”

 

Stephen’s mouth dropped slightly, before he pressed his lips into a thin line. He walked towards the portal before turning around to face the billionaire and teen. “Thank you for uh, letting me stay here while I recovered.”

 

“It’s uh,” Tony cleared his throat. “No problem. Let us know if you need anything.”

 

“Well, actually…”

 

Stephen raised an eyebrow at the other sorcerer, who took a deep breath and continued.

 

“We might be able to use your help, Stark. I don’t know what the boy can do but considering he probably just recovered from a concussion I don’t think it would be wise to include him.”

 

Peter pouted, crossing his arms. “Hey, no fair, why can’t I come?”

 

“I’m sorry kid,” Tony rustled his hair once more before walking towards Stephen and Wong. “I’ll tell Happy to drive you home. I’m sorry.”

 

“It is for the best, Peter.” Wong reassured the boy. “It is incredibly dangerous. Stephen was almost killed and he is an experienced sorcerer. You are a teenager.”

 

“I can do things too.” Peter muttered under his breath.

 

***

 

Stephen and Tony followed Wong into the library, where an open book laid on the table. On the page was a drawing of a creature, and Stephen’s breath hitched as he recognized it as the creature that struck him.

 

“That’s-”

 

“A Manticore,” Wong finished Stephen’s sentence. “It’s an ancient Greek mythological creature, and are extremely deadly. We had killed the one we encountered, but we have sources that tell us that there are more - in fact, a whole pack.”

 

“This is what stabbed you?” Tony asked Stephen, who nodded.

 

“They have spines along their body, which can shoot out like arrows.” Wong wiped his forehead. “Stephen was struck by one. He pulled it out of him, only to see a deep gash. I told him to run before it was too late and get help.”

 

“Yeah, well, luckily he listened to you.” Tony muttered, looking down. “He was pretty close to bleeding out.”

 

“What do we do?” Stephen asked his fellow sorcerer.

 

“I already talked to a bunch of sorcerers. We have to go to the pack and kill them all, or bring them back to their proper universe. Someone intentionally brought them into the universe.”

 

Tony casted a confused look. “I’m sorry, _proper universe?_ ”

 

“Let me clarify,” Wong shrugged. “Manticores, in this universe, are nothing more than mythological. However, because there are universes different to ours, there is one where they do exist. Someone tampered with the universes and brought this pack of Manticores here.”

 

“So we have to remove them before-”

 

“-before they reach the public eye.” Wong finished, and closed the book. “And we need all the help we can get. Which is why I have invited Stark.”

 

“Oh, well,” Tony cleared his throat. “Yeah, I can help out against these...lion demon things. Sure.”

 

“It’s a dangerous mission, we needed four sorcerers to deal with one, and we ended with an almost dead one. I can’t imagine how deadly a pack of them will be.” Wong shuddered slightly.

 

“Where are they located?” Stephen asked, his voice low.

 

“Not sure yet, we are trying to determine the location. Once we do, it’s battle time.”

 

“Fun.” Tony grinned, and Stephen cocked an eyebrow at him. “What? I like danger.”

 

Stephen chuckled and shook his head, his eyes amused. “Alright, Stark.”

 

***

 

Peter stood in the middle of Tony’s compound, crossing his arms and huffing. “I can help too,’ he muttered. He stared at an open door and took a deep breath before walking through, walking down a long hallway and into Tony’s lab. He knew he wasn’t allowed there.

 

“Friday, be a dear and don’t tell Mr. Stark I was here.” Peter called out to the artificial intelligence that surrounded him.

 

“If you intend to take the suit, I feel as though he will be very much aware.”

 

“I’ll deal with that later.” Peter smiled as he took the finished suit off of Tony’s work desk. “But I’m gonna prove that I can help too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter is a bad boy.


	10. A Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for lack of updates! I started my sophomore year of college, and my classes have kept me so busy!!

Peter’s heart raced as he walked to the Sanctum, his suit snuggling him tightly underneath his normal clothes. He took several deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling in order to relieve some of the anxiety that bubbled inside of him.

 

He knew it was dangerous - whatever he was about to do, but that was the thrill of it. Peter craved that thrill - his concussion prevented him from experiencing that feeling of  _ danger _ . Maybe he  _ could _ convince Tony or Doctor Strange, the other sorcerer  _ did  _ say that he needed as much help as possible.

 

Peter stood outside of the Sanctum, peering up at the rather tall building that rested before him. He raised his fist, preparing to knock, before hesitating. Doctor Strange probably wouldn’t be happy to see Peter, and Peter didn’t even have a real excuse, besides wanting to fight. He had originally planned to feign sickness in order to get into the Sanctum, but on his walk he realized he probably would not be able to fool a magic doctor.

 

Logic seemed to finally flood Peter’s mind. Whatever Tony and Doctor Strange were working on, it was probably extremely important, and not a child’s play. He sighed, he wanted to help - _ badly, _ but a memory of what Tony has said to him in the back of a car kept echoing his mind:

 

_ “I can’t have you dying on me.” _

 

Peter sighed once more before turning around and leaning his back against the door of the Sanctum. What was he thinking? He took the suit without asking,  _ and _ he tried to show up and fight in a battle he wasn’t supposed to fight, deliberately disobeying Tony. Perhaps he  _ should _ listen for once, and just go home. The teen turned around and stared up at the tower, blinking slowly. He huffed and crossed his arms. If only he was a little older. If only -

 

The door swung open and the color drained from Peter’s face as he stared blankly into the blue eyes of the sorcerer. His arms dropped to his side. Stephen’s face remained dry, expressionless.

 

“Doctor Strange! I - uh, I was just leaving! I prom-”

 

“Save it. Come inside.” Stephen interrupted, his voice monotone and stale. Peter closed his mouth and lowered his head, feeling slightly ashamed. Tony stood in the common room area near a chair, crossing his arms. Peter’s eyes widened, but he avoided Tony’s glare.

 

“I usually like being right about certain things, but in this situation, I really wish I wasn’t right,” Tony muttered. Peter arched an eyebrow in confusion. Stephen sighed and walked to stand next to Tony.

 

“Tony said that you would try and follow us. Told me that you probably took the suit too. I had a little more faith in you, but then I was informed that someone was at the door.” Stephen shook his head. “Peter, seriously?”

 

“I was gonna go home! I realized it was dumb of me, I’m sorry!” Peter tried to explain, his voice unable to hide his slight sense of panic. “I mean it, I originally came here to help, yes, but then I thought and realized how idiotic I was being!”

 

“Yes! You were being idiotic, but you can prevent that by  _ listening! _ ” Tony hissed at the teenager.

 

“I promise! I’ll leave now! I just,” Peter sucked in his breath and held his head down. “I just wanted to prove that I  _ can _ do something.”

 

Tony shook his head. “Kid, you  _ can _ do stuff but you’re not experienced for this kind of fight. Focus on what you  _ can _ do. I can’t have you dying on my watch.”

 

Peter sighed, “I just want to be like you, Mr. Stark.”

 

“Don’t be like me.” Tony snorted, his eyes casting downwards. “Be Peter Parker, a smart, teenage boy who exceeds in school and has a big heart. Be yourself, Peter. Don’t put yourself into reckless danger because you want to be me.”

 

Peter fell silent, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I’m sorry Mr. Stark,” he muttered. “I’m really sorry.”

 

“He only wants you to be safe, Peter,” Stephen piped up. “The world needs its Spider-man. Its young, bright, athletic Spider-man.” Stephen smiled softly, and Peter glanced up. He locked eyes with the sorcerer. Peter returned the smile with his own and nodded.

 

“Okay,” Peter breathed. “I’ll go home. Please be careful.  _ Please. _ ”

 

The corners of Tony’s mouth lifted. “We will do our best, kiddo - that’s what we do.”

 

Peter turned his head towards Stephen. “Can I get a portal home?”

 

“Of course,” Stephen used his sling ring to form a portal to the street outside of Peter’s apartment.

 

“Thanks, Doc.” Peter grinned and stepped through the portal, waving at the doctor and billionaire, before the portal closed.

 

“You seem to know him and his habits pretty well.” Stephen muttered towards Tony. Tony scoffed, shrugging.

 

“He’s predictable. I’m just glad we caught him before he snuck into the battle with us.”

 

Stephen nodded, agreeing. “We should probably get back to Wong - the other sorcerers should be coming soon for the fight.”

 

Tony inhaled sharply, the color draining from his face. “Yeah, we should.”

 

Stephen put a hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly, causing a slight blush to warm Tony’s face. “We’ll be alright. We’ve fought bigger battles before.”

 

Tony eased into the hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know, Stephanie. You got insanely hurt while dealing with just one.” He sucked in his breath. “Multiple? Seems pretty dangerous.”

 

“It’s what we have to do,” Stephen stated dryly. “We, as sorcerers, protect the sanctity of the universe, and right now, it is all out of whack with this pack of Manticores. We risk our lives, just like you did here back in 2012.”

 

Tony’s eyes widened as he stared blankly at Stephen. “You knew about that?”

 

“Of course, I was working as a neurosurgeon at the time. What you did,” Stephen squeezed Tony’s shoulder once more. “Was utterly impressive and inspiring. You saved many lives. You’re a good man, Tony.”

 

“Are you ill? I don’t know if I like this compliment-giving Stephen.” Tony chuckled before shooting a warm smile. “But thank you, really.”

 

Stephen’s hand dropped to his side. “I only tell the truth, Stark.”

 

“Well,” Tony’s eyes held contact with Stephen’s. “I appreciate that.”

 

The two continued to stare at one another, smiling - both men appearing to be suddenly shy of one another.

 

“Excuse me, Jack and Rose, we have some Greek monsters to deal with.” Wong cleared his throat and made a motion back towards the library.

 

Stephen scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m surprised you even know who Jack and Rose are.”

 

“It was on one day,” Wong stated. “I quite enjoyed the  _ Titanic. _ ”

 

“Honestly? I cried for a good two hours after that movie.” Tony butted in, chuckling.

 

“You two need to stop being so sensible.” Stephen teased, walking past Wong.

 

“It was a good movie!” Tony exclaimed, a light chuckle escaping his lips.

 

Ad the three men returned to the library, the atmosphere appeared to grow more anxious. Several sorcerers occupied the chairs around the table, each face filled with worry. Tony felt a sliver of anxiety course through his veins. Knowing Stephen and Wong, he knew that the sorcerers were serious about their work. Seeing them with their unsure expressions plastered on the faces added an uneasy vibe to run through Tony’s body. Before, while he was studying the Manticore, it all seemed unreal - a  _ greek mythological creature? Multiple universes? _ It all seemed too much.

 

A hand touched his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Breathe, Stark.” Stephen’s voice was calm but firm, enough to snap Tony out of his cloud of worry.

 

“Sorry,” Tony sucked in his breath, realizing all eyes were on him. He swayed on his feet. “So! Uh, beating the Manticore! How should we go about doing that?”

 

“Who is this man?” A male sorcerer spoke up, pointing a finger towards Tony.

 

“This is Tony Stark, otherwise known as the Iron Man,” Wong explained. “He may be useful in our mission.”

 

“He is good,” Stephen reassured. “You can trust me on that,” Tony casted him a mocking glance. “He saved my life after I was injured the other day.”

 

“How is your injury, Stephen?” The male sorcerer asked, cocking an eyebrow.

 

“I am recovered, Mordo.” Stephen replied, smiling. “Well, recovering, I guess. Still a little painful.”

 

“You’ve got your magic thing back, though.” Tony muttered, before arching an eyebrow. “Right?”

 

Stephen nodded, “Yes. Anyway, we should have some sort of plan before going into this mess.”

 

“Do we know where the pack is?” Mordo questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“Some forest in Norway,” Wong informed. “Østmarka, east of Oslo. We must move quickly and either kill them or remove them. They mustn't stay in this universe, and there mustn’t be a sighting from locals.”

 

“Hate to be  _ that _ guy, but civilians have seen aliens before, why can’t they see some weird, Greek, lion thing?” Tony piped up.

 

“Aliens exist in this universe. Manticores do not. Like I said, the universes are being tampered with - which is dangerous in its entirety.” Wong responded, and Tony shook his head.

 

“But that’s what I’m confused about,” Tony shrugged. “Why  _ can’t  _ the Manticore exist here?”

 

“Because our duty as sorcerers is to protect  _ our _ universe.” Mordo added, his tone sharp. “These Manticore are dangerous. Now, I suggest we plan an attack, otherwise we are wasting valuable time.”

 

“Mordo is right.” A female sorcerer spoke. “We must act as soon as possible.”

 

Tony shifted uncomfortably, before leaning in to whisper in Stephen's ear. “I don’t think your wizard friends like me.”

 

“They’re serious about this matter, and they’re worried too.” Stephen muttered a response. “I wouldn’t dwell on it.”

 

“Are we planning on killing the Manticore? Or do we just want to move them?” Mordo asked, taking the book on the table and flipping through the pages.

 

“That’s the issue. We don’t know which universe these Manticore came from. We must kill them, unfortunately,” Wong sighed.

 

“Why’s that unfortunate?” Tony cocked an eyebrow in wonder.

 

“Makes it more dangerous - if we were to move them only, we could stand at a distance and do so. Killing them most definitely calls for battle - up close and personal.”

 

Tony grimaced, “Yikes.”

 

“Perhaps we can capture them first,” Stephen added. “Then once we round them all up, we can, well, kill them?”

 

The other sorcerers all murmured in agreement.

 

“Elaborate?” Mordo asked.

 

“We’re sorcerers. We can easily make some magic rope and incapacitate them.”

 

“Won’t be that easy,” Wong muttered.

 

“No, but it  _ could  _ work,” Stephen retorted. “Better than just killing head-on, like we tried to do.”

 

“And what about the guy who isn’t a wizard?” Tony raised his hand.   
  


“ _ Sorcerer,” _ A chorus responded. Tony rolled his eyes.

 

“Right,” Tony exhaled a sharp breath. “But seriously, what do I do?”

 

“You can do the honor of helping to kill them after we capture them,” Stephen chuckled.

 

“And protecting us while we capture,” Wong added.

 

“Sounds fun,” Tony muttered, sounding slightly annoyed,

 

***

 

The sorcerers and Tony continued to devise a plan to kill the beasts. Tony found himself huffing, both out of impatience and out of anxiety. He wanted to learn more about these creatures. He reached for a book on the table, just as Stephen reached for the same one. The two brushed hands, and Stephen yanks his hand back, a slight blush warming his cheeks.

 

“Sorry,” he stammered. “You can take it.”

 

Tony flashed a smile, noticing the flustered man. “No, it’s fine - probably more useful for you anyway.”

 

Stephen returned the smile and grabbed the book. “Thanks for agreeing to help us, Stark.”

 

“Not an issue,” Tony grinned. “We gotta do what’s right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Rose reference the Titanic!! (In case nobody knows.)
> 
> Next chapter is a battle scene, and very important for the evolution of Stephen and Tony's relationship!


	11. Capturing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, a few notes:
> 
> You may be wondering why updates have been slow. I have begun my school year and it has been so time consuming, and I find it so hard to write. It takes me several weeks to even write one chapter.   
> Don't expect quick updates. I will try my best to update Simple Thoughts and Saboteur as much as I can, but Striking our Matches may continue to be a little dormant, as that fic requires a lot of time and effort for a single chapter.  
> With that being said, please enjoy this chapter.  
> \- Leaf

The wind was sharp and Tony felt a shiver down his spine. The haunting trees of Østmarka loomed over them, disguising the broad daylight as darkness. 

 

They had been walking for quite some time, listening to noises that might give them clues as to where the manticore are. Tony sucked in his breath and looked upwards, trying to find a hint of the light sky above them. The trees were tall and monstrous, making it almost impossible.

 

Tony’s eyes shifted towards his left, where Stephen walked beside him. His cloak was neatly wrapped around his collar and floated behind him like a majestic king. He had a strut in his walk, one with great posture and confidence that Tony secretly admired. But even Tony could see the hint of nervousness that trailed beneath the steel eyes of the sorcerer. 

 

It caused a mixed reaction to soar through Tony’s body. Knowing Stephen was nervous was an uneasy feeling, but it also provided some comfort, as Tony himself was a little worried about the outcome. He knew how Stephen was almost killed by only one manticore, he couldn’t imagine how strong a pack of them might be. Strong enough to kill all the sorcerers, probably.

 

Tony shuddered at the thought.

 

Stephen glanced over at Tony, cocking an eyebrow. “You alright?” He asked in a low whisper.

 

“Yeah,” Tony breathed out, nodding. “Just fine.”

 

“Okay,” Stephen turned his head back forward, opening his mouth to say something, but then shutting it before he could get a word out.

 

A roaring noise echoed throughout the forest, and the wandering group stopped. Wong smiled as he turned around to face the group. “They are near. Everyone ready for the plan?”

 

“Capture, then kill.” A female sorcerer responded, and Wong nodded. 

 

“Correct. Don’t let the spines hit you.”

 

Stephen let out an exhale, and Tony reached over to pat his back twice. The sorcerer locked eyes with Tony and pressed his lips together in a small smile, mouthing a “thank you” at the shorter man.

 

Another roar blasted through the forest, this time, louder. Tony could feel his heart pulsating, the echo of the rhythm blocking all sounds from his ears. Anxiety coursed through his veins as he took a deep breath and continued walking towards the obnoxious roaring, pressing the center of his arc reactor and allowing the bleeding-edge armor to wrap around him. Stephen watched in awe at the suit, admiring the upgrades that Tony made since he had last seen it in action.

 

“I’ll fly ahead,” the Iron Man volunteered. “I can look for them and report back to all of you.”

 

“Be careful.” Wong responded, his tone serious and his eyes telling. “Please, don’t be reckless.”

 

“What kinda guy do you take me for, Wong?” Tony let out a light-hearted laugh, though it came out a little shaky - his nerves becoming more prominent with every word. Wong scowled, and Tony shrugged. “Just tryna lighten the tension.” He pointed his hands down towards the ground and took off, flying slightly below the trees and towards the chorus of roars. He admired the height of the trees and the beauty that was the forest, it really was a sight. Tony had never been to Norway - perhaps he should come as a tourist on of these days.

 

He continued to fly, hoping that he wasn’t being too obnoxiously loud - he didn’t want to startle the Manticore, not yet at least. Another roar shook his ear drums and he settled on the ground, deciding to creep on ahead - they were close. Tony jumped behind a bush and chuckled to himself, feeling like a bullshit character in a Tom Cruise movie, jumping behind bushes to spy. His pupils were blown wide as he sees the monster in front of him. The body was long and slender, resembling a lion, and the tail had a bunch of protrusions, looking similar to a scorpion’s tail. The head, which Tony found a bit creepy, was a human head, and fear raced through his body as he noticed several more Manticore behind the one close to him. Another one roared, sounding a bit desperate with a small whimper, and Tony’s face fell. They must be lost, scared, and confused. After all, this wasn’t their universe.

 

“I better go inform Wong and the others,” he muttered underneath his breath. He was careful not to make a sound as to scare the creatures, and once he felt he was safe, he took off, flying through the air.

 

Tony spotted the group and flew downwards, carefully placing his feet as he landed on the ground. His helmet peeled back as he took a deep breath. “I saw them. Multiple. Don’t know the exact count but I saw them.”

 

“Where did you see them?” Mordo questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“Straight ahead and a little to the left.” Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “They seem scared, confused, and lost. Creepy as hell, though, pretty sure I saw one that had the head of Jesus.”

 

“As they should be. This is not their universe. We must get rid of them.” Wong shook his head and motioned the group to keep walking. “As soon as we can.”

 

“Right, uh, okay.” Tony glanced downwards, watching the sorcerer's move around him as they continued onwards. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he snapped his head upwards to match the blue gaze of Stephen.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Tony shrugged and flashed his signature smile. “Just, I don’t know, I’ve never been worried too much about animal welfare, and I don’t know if these creatures are even considered as animals, but I don’t know if I want to kill them. I mean, they seem scared and lost, they probably don’t want to fight. The one that fought you probably was scared and defending itself.”

 

The hand on his shoulder squeezed reassuringly. “I get you, Tony. But we have to do what we have to do. And that might mean protecting ourselves. I almost got killed by one of these things, and the last thing I want is for me or you to get penetrated by a spine.”

 

Tony snorted, snickering. Stephen raised his eyebrow, then rolled his eyes. “Pathetic. You’re a child.”

 

“You said penetrated, not me.”

 

“Oh my god, grow up To-”

 

“Hey, you two!” Wong’s voice interrupted, a sharp tone attached to it. “Are you going to come with us or stare into each other’s eyes lovingly?”

 

Stephen blushed and pulled his hand away, walking towards Wong. “We’re coming.” Tony followed suit, a small blush forming on his cheeks. He quickly allowed his helmet to overtake his face as to hide behind it. 

 

***

 

“Tony!  _ Look out! _ ” Stephen’s voice boomed through the roars, and Tony turned around. His eyes widened as he saw a spine shooting towards him and he flies toward the ground, allowing it to pass over his head. The spine winded up in a tree behind him, vibrating a tad from the force it was shot at.

 

Everything was going horribly wrong. 

 

The Manticore were a lot deadlier than Tony could have ever imagined. Their spines were quick and painful, and two sorcerers were already down, hiding behind bushes and trying to treat their wounds. There were so many, and Tony was losing track. Stephen, Wong, and Mordo worked on using their ropes to stabilize the Manticore, but it required a team of coordination and balance, and usually one or more was thrown off by a spine heading their way. Tony felt himself panicking - his heart raced and anxiety was coursing through his veins like they were on some racetrack for NASCAR. 

 

_ Shit _ , Tony’s thoughts were sporadic, unable to get a clear thought through to focus on. The Manticore that Stephen was focusing on was too fast, too nimble, it needed to slow down, it needed...it needed something hindering its ability to move.

 

Tony held his hand out, feeling a blast pulsating from his suit. A ball of energy appeared out of his hand, and he arched his arm backwards, feeling like a baseball pitcher. With all of his might, he threw the energy ball directly at the leg of the Manticore, causing it to cry out in pain and fall to the ground, whimpering.

 

“Stark! What are you-”

 

“No time, Wong! Quick, capture it while its down!” Tony bellowed towards the sorcerer, and much to his surprise, he listened, quickly working with Stephen and Mordo to encapture it within their ropes. The Manticore cried out, and the other four Manticore took notice of their now inhibited friend. More spines are shot out, and they quickly dodge it.

 

“I have to incapacitate them!” Tony called out to Wong. “They’re too dangerous, and we have to be quick and careful! Get the other sorcerers to distract the others as we keep working on one at a time!”

 

Wong nodded, and for a moment Tony glanced over to Stephen, who had an impressed expression on his face. Tony gave a thumbs up and flew over to the second Manticore.

 

“Hey, big guy, come on, throw your goddamn spikes.” Tony taunted, quickly flying above the head. The Manticore roared and swiped a large claw towards Tony, who quickly flew out of the way. “What a big paw. With big claws. Yikes.”

 

“Stark!” Wong shouted from below. “We need another hit, please!”

 

“Got it, sorry!” Tony flew backwards to give some space, only to be shot at by a protrusion. “Woah, watch it, fucker!”

 

“ _ Stark! _ ”

 

“Sorry! Almost just fucking  _ died _ but whatever!” Tony snapped back.

 

“You’re wearing a suit of armor, you wouldn’t die from that.” Stephen called back, a teasing tone hinting its way into the words. 

 

“Shut it, wizard.” Tony pulled his arm back, allowing another ball of energy to form in his palm. He waited a few moments before pushing the ball, aiming directly for the side of the Manticore, knocking it over. “Now!”

 

The sorcerers didn’t hesitate, immediately conjuring ropes to enclose the creature. It soon joined it’s other friend, binded by the magic ropes and unable to escape. 

 

“Two down, three to g-” Tony was knocked to the ground, face first, from an angry tail. Another Manticore roared and cried out to its friend as Tony struggled to get up.

 

“Tony! Are you alright?” Stephen called out, blocking spines with a spell. 

 

“Fi-  _ fuck _ , fine!” Tony choked out, wobbling as he gets up. “That fucking tail came out of nowhere.”

 

“Tony, move to the left, now!” Stephen called out again, and Tony quickly rolled over to his left, narrowly avoiding another tail slamming down. 

 

“Holy fuck.” Tony panted inside of his suit, feeling his heart race. He quickly stood up and lifted off, swiftly avoiding another tail slamming to the ground. “Thanks, Wizardo.”

 

“Stark, we need to get this one.” Wong called out to him, before turning to the other sorcerers who managed to stay uninjured. “You all, keep distracting the other two while we work this one!”

 

The sorcerers listened, using lights and other forms of energy to draw attention to the two Manticore, who growled at them. Tony flew up, forming another burst and casting it to the creature. It cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground, allowing for Wong and others to cast their rope around it. 

 

Everything seemed to be going more smoothly.

 

The fourth Manticore was more easily captured, but the fifth and final one was nimble, easily avoiding the blasts that Tony threw at it. The Manticore let out a boisterous roar as it shot spines at Tony. Tony tried dodging but was struck by several, not enough to penetrate the iron armor but enough to knock him out of the air in surprise. He hit the ground with a  _ thud,  _ and found himself staring at the Manticore, now towering above him.

 

“Um, a little help here?” Tony cried out to his colleagues.

 

“Working on it!” Stephen responded, and conjured an orange whip and smacked the creature, which winced in pain. It backed away from Tony to face the sorcerer and bared its teeth. It bent down, the spines suddenly sticking out, bracing itself to shoot. Tony’s eyes widened as he saw Stephen freeze out of fear.

 

“Stephen!” Tony yelled, quickly getting up and blasting forward, taking the other man into his arms and moving him to the side, narrowly avoiding the dangerous weapons of the Manticore. He placed Stephen on the ground, and the doctor clutched his heart, breathing deeply.

 

“Jesus, Tony, thank you.” Stephen’s breath was shaky. “I just...froze up.”

 

“It happens.” Tony reassured, his hands roaming around Stephen to make sure he was alright. “Are you good?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good. Come on, we have one more shit to deal with.” Tony stood up, holding his armor-clad hand out for Stephen to grab. Stephen grasped it firmly, and Tony pulled him up. “Almost done.”

 

“Far from done,” Stephen muttered. “We still have to figure out what to do with them.”

 

“Let’s not get killed, first.” Tony replied, chucking. He took off again, barreling towards the Manticore. “Alright Wong, you ready?”

 

“Been ready, Stark, we need you to injure it.”

 

“Got it.” Tony’s eyes roamed around. The Manticore was too fast for him to throw a blast directly at it. It would need a distraction - a diversion, so it doesn’t see Tony form an energy blast. Tony spotted a tree behind the Manticore, and aimed his blast there. Tony smiled as he sees the Manticore turn around at the blast, and using that to his advantage, he barreled another blast directly into the lower back of the creature, causing it to fall to the ground. The sorcerers casted their ropes and rejoiced when the final Manticore was captured. 

 

Finally, they could relax.

 

Tony landed on the ground, allowing his helmet and mask to disappear as he bent over, taking several deep breaths. “Jesus, that took a lot of work.”

 

“Now we need to decide what to do.” Wong rubbed his chin. “Considering I don’t know what universe they are from, the only logical thing to do is kill them.”

 

“But-” Tony paused, realizing that Wong was probably right. With no way to know the source of the Manticore, there was nothing they could really do. “Yeah.”

 

“Sorcerers, conjure a weapon. Make sure to stab directly into the heart.”

 

***

 

The library of the Sanctum was empty except for Wong, Stephen, and Tony. The other sorcerers had left, and the injured ones were getting rest in the local hospital. Tony rested his chin on his hands, elbows leaning on the table, while Stephen and Wong muttered softly to one another.

 

_ I hated killing those beings. _ Tony thought to himself.  _ I wish there had been another way. _

 

“I’m just saying, it could very well be a possibility!” Stephen exclaimed loudly, breaking the murmuring volume he was using previously. 

 

“And I’m saying that’s ridiculous.” Wong replied, shaking his head. “I’m going to bed. You guys should get some rest as well. We all took a beating.”

 

Tony said nothing, but responded with a grunt. Wong cocked and eyebrow but shrugged it off, walking towards the door. “See you both soon.”

 

The door closed, and Stephen took the seat next to Tony.

 

“You alright?”

 

“Yeah,” Tony breathed. “I’ll be fine.”

 

“I’m sorry we had to kill them.”

 

“You had to do what you had to do.”

 

“I know,” Stephen glanced downwards. “I hate that we had to do it, though.”

 

Tony nodded, removing his elbows off the table and letting out a deep sigh. “Are  _ you _ alright? Yo almost got hit. Several times.”

 

“You did get hit. I wouldn’t be worried about me.”

 

“Stephen.”

 

“I’m fine, Tony.” Stephen replied, his eyes locking with Tony. “Believe me, I’m alright.”

 

“Good.” Tony pressed his lips together in a small smile, his gaze unmoving. Stephen blinked slowly as he continued to stare at the other man. Tony suddenly stood up, his cheeks beginning to flush. “I should probably go, you know, rest.”

 

“You don’t sleep.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right, but you do.” Tony began walking towards the door of the library. “And I’ll leave you to it.”

 

Stephen stood up. “Tony, wait.”

 

Tony turned around and cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

 

“I just,” Stephen took a deep breath. “Thank you for saving me today. I didn’t mean to freeze up like that.”

 

“It’s alright, Strange. It happens to the best of us.” 

 

“No, well, yeah, but -” Stephen sighed, and walked towards Tony, standing right before him, rubbing the back of his neck. “I usually don’t freeze up.”

 

“It was scary, you were just recovered from an injury from that creature.” Tony reassured, smiling softly at the other man. “You’re alright.” He reached out and gently grasped Stephen’s shoulder, squeezing slightly. Stephen glanced upwards, matching his smile and locking eyes.

 

“Thank you,” Stephen chuckled lightly. Tony just gently rubbed Stephen’s shoulder and stared softly at him. 

 

It felt like forever, but Tony just continued staring at Stephen’s oceanic eyes, his hand still on his shoulder. His smile faded quickly as a more serious gaze fell on Tony’s face. His heart pounded in his chest, and he was sure Stephen could hear it. He gave into his urge to cast his gaze downwards, staring at Stephen’s lips.

 

Suddenly, a hand was cupping Tony’s face and lips were pressed against his, and immediately his hands fell to Stephen’s hips, pulling him closer. He kissed harder, snaking his tongue into Stephen's mouth, who graciously accepted.

 

The library was quiet, the only exception being the small gasps for breath and the sound of wet lips moving softly.


	12. No Fun Allowed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys im on BREAK and that means i can finish these fics yeet

Ten minutes had passed. The two stood there, with Tony’s hands gripping at the sorcerer’s waist, pulling him close as the kissing continued.

 

The sound of a portal completely passed over their heads. “Hey, Stephen, can you-” Wong stopped mid sentence as he gaped at the view in front of him.

 

Stephen and Tony pulled apart, both visibly flustered.

 

“Y-you know what, never mind. It can be dealt with later.” Wong shook his head and closed the portal, leaving Tony and Stephen alone once again, a tension radiating in the air.

 

Tony glanced downwards, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh, we- well-”

 

“We probably need to talk about what just happened.” Stephen blurted out, and Tony nodded cautiously. Stephen sighed before continuing. “I- uh, well, I don’t know what that was, if I’m going to be honest.”

 

Tony murmured in agreement before shaking his head. “I’m just, don’t we hate each other?”

 

“I don’t know, Tony, do you think we hate each other?” The tone was snarky.

 

Tony paused. “No,” he said quietly.

 

“Because I certainly don’t hate you.”

 

“I can tell.”  Tony licked his lips, remembering the taste of Stephen. “That was quite the kiss.”

 

“Sorry, Tony, I really don’t know what came over me.” Stephen muttered, feeling a bit flustered. He rubbed the back of his head. 

 

“I don’t know what came over you either,” Tony stated. “But damn, am I glad it did.”

 

Stephen’s eyes widened, and a grin slowly formed on his face. “I feel like it was a long time coming.” He let out a short laugh, that sounded more like a snort. “You think we would have...if Peter didn’t interrupt us that one time?”

 

“Honestly? Was gonna go for it. Then Kid shows up and boom, I snap out of my trance.” Tony wore a faint smile as he recalled the event. “I know I know, you’re so hypnotizing, yada yada yada.”

 

The sorcerer smirked and crossed his arms. “Go on, I like hearing about this.”

 

“I’m not going to fuel your ego.”

 

“No fun.”

 

“Yep, that’s me,” Tony grinned as he stepped forward, grabbing the lapels of the Cloak. “No fun allowed.”

 

Stephen eyed his lips before slowly glancing up to match Tony’s eyes. “Not even a  _ little _ fun allowed?” He whispered, his breath a mere ghost on Tony’s lips, sending a shudder down his spine.

 

Tony caught himself staring at Stephen’s lips. “Well,” he said in a low whisper. “Maybe a little fun.” He closed the gap between them as he moved his hands to cup Stephen’s cheeks, his thumb gently swiping at the indents of cheekbones as he snaked his tongue into Stephen’s mouth. Stephen’s hands found Tony’s waist and pulled him closer, and allowed his hands to roam, eventually reaching Tony’s ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

 

“Ay!” Tony gasped against Stephen’s lips. Stephen pulled away, his eyes seemed to be smirking. “That’s my ass.”

 

“Yes,” Stephen purred. “Any objections?”

 

Tony paused. “No,” he stated. 

 

“Mm, good, okay.” Stephen smiled as he leaned in again. Tony held a finger up.

 

“Mm, wait.” He interrupted, allowing Stephen to pull back, and he moved his hands back to Tony’s waist. “We need to discuss first.”

 

“I thought we did that.”

 

“No, I got distracted.” Tony shrugged. “By you, of course.”

 

Stephen dropped his hands and moved back, folding his arms. “Okay, let’s discuss. Specifics?”

 

“Relationship or fling?” Tony asked, arching an eyebrow.

 

“Hmm, could do with a relationship.” Stephen answered. “You?”

 

“Ditto.”

 

“Tell the kid or hide it from him?” Stephen asked, a hint of a smirk was plastered on his face.

 

“We  _ could _ tell the kid,” Tony stared upwards as he thought. “Or, we could have some fun of our own. Make him feel uncomfortable in some situations. Or we could have him figure it out himself. Probably won’t take long, he’s a smart boy.”

 

“ _ Or, _ ” Stephen shook his head. “We can just tell him and record his reaction.”

 

Tony smiled and held a finger up. “You know, I don’t think his reaction is going to be that surprised. I feel like he figured something was between us.”

 

“Eh, we’ll see.”

 

“So, we’re in a relationship. Right? We decided on that?”

 

“Yes,” Stephen clarified, a small chuckle escaping from his lips. “Though do not expect me to leave the Sanctum much. I have to be here to guard it whenever I can, as that’s my job.”

 

“Yes, magical wizard sorcerer who happens to be my boyfriend, I will come to you when I want attention.” Tony shook his head, amused. “And that happens to be constantly, so be prepared for my never-ending visits.”

 

“You think I’d object to seeing your face everyday?”

 

“Never, my face is absolutely magnificent. I meant be prepared for Wong’s wrath that’ll be unleashed on you. Or me. Probably both of us,” Tony grinned.

 

Stephen grimaced. “Wong’s going to absolutely slaughter us. Though, he probably is working through it right now, after he just walked in.”

 

“Would you count that as walking in? I think it’s maybe  _ portaling in _ , or maybe-”

 

“Same difference,” Stephen interrupted. “Point is, I’m going to have a  _ long _ discussion with him about this. My bet is he’ll have a whole list of rules pertaining to our relationship. And I bet the very first one is going to be ‘no kissing in the library.’”

 

Tony chuckled. “Welp, we broke that immediately.”

 

“Knowing him, he’s probably writing them down right now in an annoyed rage.” Stephen grinned and shook his head. “And he might be limiting your stay.”

 

“I’d like to see him try,” Tony snorted. 

 

“Just bribe him with food and he’ll probably let you in.”

 

“Hey, good idea. I guess your brain is as great as your face.” 

 

Stephen arched an eyebrow and smirked. “You really love to be a pain, don’t you?”

 

Tony pretended to be shocked. “What? It’s a compliment. And yes, I do in fact, love to be a pain.”

 

Stephen stared at him, amused. “Well, I should probably go see what Wong wanted. And it’s late, so you should probably get that rest, you know, like we were supposed to do.”

 

“Aw, no fun, don’t you want to kiss me a little more?”

 

“Mmm, tempting,” the sorcerer mused. “But you need sleep and you need it badly.”

 

Tony groaned. “Fine, mind if I have a lift?”

 

Stephen made a portal to the compound and gestured towards it. Tony walked to it and hesitated before turning around and crashing his lips to Stephen. The two mingled, breathing in each other’s air and letting the world spin around them. When Tony pulled away, Stephen’s face was slightly flustered and his lips parted.

 

“Just needed to do that again, hope you didn’t mind.” Tony smiled as he pulled away and walked through the portal. “Flustered is a great look on you.”

 

“Mmm,” Stephen could do nothing but rub the back of his head. “You never fail to leave me at a loss for words, Stark.”

 

“I don’t think that’s entirely  _ strange _ ,” Tony smirked. He could hear a groan from Stephen at his pun. “Oh stop, you love it.”

 

“Nope, never had, never will,” Stephen muttered. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

 

“Okay, Doc, whatever you sa-”

 

Stephen shut the portal before Tony could get another word out. He took a deep breath as he mused over what had happened prior. He had kissed Tony. Tony kissed back. Now they were in a relationship. Wong needed something.  _ Wong. _

 

Stephen formed a portal and stepped through it.

 

***

 

“Hmm, it seems the parasite on your lips has gone away,” Wong muttered. Stephen rolled his eyes and shut the portal behind him.

 

“Excuse me, I believe it was you who told me you appreciated his presence, and you were the one who told me we would end up this way.” Stephen crossed his arms. “Why the sudden change in attitude towards Tony?”

 

Wong held a hand up. “No change, just joking, though I could use a way to erase the image out of my head. That was something I had no desire to see.”

 

“Wow, you joke? Impressive.” Stephen murmured and smirked. “Though I am sorry you walked in on that, but I’m glad you did as well, because we were able to talk about it afterwards.”

 

“You’re saying if I-” Wong went pale. “If I didn’t interrupt, were you just going to…  _ continue?” _

 

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Stephen shrugged, shaking his head. “Not the point, what did you need from me?”

 

Wong stood up from his chair, stretching. “Since you were down in the library, I was hoping you could have done a little more research for me.” His eyes widened. “I did  _ not _ realize you were busy sucking the soul out of Stark.”

 

The taller sorcerer rolled his eyes. “What research, exactly?”

 

“I wanted to understand more about the Manticore.”

 

“We researched everything leading up to our fight, hadn’t we?” Stephen asked, his eyebrow arching. “That is why we were in the library, after all?”

 

“Not entirely. There’s an ancient book that reveals how they came to be. I was merely interested in knowing their evolution.”

 

“But they don’t exist in this universe,” Stephen mused. “Right? So how could there be a book on their ‘evolution.’ That makes little sense.”

 

“Whoever is tampering with our universe specifically chose the Manticore.” Wong stated matter of factly. “If I can understand the origins of the Manticore, perhaps I can understand why they chose to use the Manticore as a sort of warning.”

 

“Warning?” Stephen stood up straighter.

 

“There are more things coming, I hypothesize. Why the Manticore? What could they possibly want?”

 

“Wong,” Stephen murmured. “How do you know they specifically chose the Manticore for a reason other than they just liked mythology?”

 

“I don’t. Like I said, I’m only theorizing.”

 

“Do you know when the Manticore first appeared?”

 

“September.” Wong stated. “That’s when we got our first energy signals. At first, I thought it was a false reading, until we checked it out.”

 

“A little while later,” Stephen muttered. “Wait, September?”

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“That was when the aliens attacked Peter.” Stephen recalled, scratching his head. “You think they had something to do with it?”

 

“I don’t see how they could have anything to do with it.” Wong shook his head. “It’s quite complicated to grasp.”

 

“They had a portal directly to their ship from light years away. Not only that, but they managed to manipulate space-time as well. When we returned, not a single second had passed by.” Stephen took a deep breath before continuing. “My theory is that when they manipulated space-time, they allowed a hole in the universe to appear, which allowed for a bridge for the Manticore to cross over.”

 

“Hmm.” Wong squinted. “I have no knowledge on astrophysics.”

 

“Ever heard of a wormhole?” Stephen asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Perhaps these alien creatures excelled at creating wormholes. And these wormholes had consequences elsewhere. I’m saying, it is a possibility that Yental and his crew created a wormhole between this universe and another.” Stephen leaned against a wall.

 

“So, what do we do to cease it?” 

 

“Nothing. Yental is finished. I took care of him.”  _ After he tortured Tony _ . “And considering there were only a few Manticore we had to deal with, and not many other mysterious creatures have suddenly appeared, I assume that the wormhole has since been closed.”

 

“That’s a lot of information.” Wong rubbed his head. “You’re saying that all of this was just a repercussion of aliens, and not someone directly tampering with the universes?”

 

“Yeah,” Stephen breathed. “I am.”

 

“Hmm. I want to believe you.” Wong sighed. “Guess I will have to indulge on more research. I thought we had a universe saboteur on our hands.”

 

“Well, yeah, we did.” Stephen murmured. “Until I wiped out his army.”

 

Wong yawned and stretched his arms. “I need sleep. As do you.”

 

“I know.”

 

Wong formed a portal to his bedroom. He stepped inside and turned around. “Also, Stephen?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Please, do not kiss in the library. It’s sacred.”

 

Stephen snorted. “No promises.”

 

“You’ll regret that.”

 

“Probably.” He smiled at Wong, who only rolled his eyes in faint amusement, before shutting the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok. imma be real with yall chief. idk how space works nor do i really understand spacetime. just looking for an excuse to tie things together. dont kill me hehe

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Twitter: @blissfulstark
> 
> Tumblr: ironstrangepls
> 
> i apologize for any grammatical or spelling error that you may find! i reread my work alot but i don’t have a beta and sometimes I miss a few things:)


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